"The most important thing that schools can do is not to use technology in the curriculum more, but to use it more effectively."
John G. Palfrey and Urs Gasser
www.geckoandfly.com
What is Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is a belief that we are not born with fixed skills. Instead, certain human qualities can be cultivated through your efforts, strategies, and support from others (Dweck, 2006).
Why Adopt a Growth Mindset?
In a life full of unexpected twists and turns, one of the things we can count on is that we will go through setbacks and challenges. Having a growth mindset is important in being able to thrive during times of challenge.
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"Becoming is better than being." In our classroom, we want to highlight the learning journey. A growth mindset is important in teaching children to prioritize their growth and effort toward a goal versus a final grade. Students who understand that they do not have all of the answers yet will overcome struggles better than students who believe they cannot accomplish tasks. Students who embrace a growth mindset perform better academically by giving effort and keeping a positive attitude (Dweck, 2006).
Four Steps to a Growth Mindset
(Jefferey, 2024)
Incorporating the Four Steps
In an elementary classroom
01
Recognizing a Fixed Mindset
Before young learners can apply these skills, they need explicit practice recognizing what this means. During our morning meetings, we will discuss different scenarios where students come across challenges with a fixed mindset. Using a think/pair/share discussion, learners will identify the thinking that falls within the fixed mindset pathway and decide how they can flip the response using a growth mindset.
03
Challenge to respond with a growth mindset
Learning new skills and navigating life problems is hard. As students struggle in the day to day, teachers will help students adopt a growth mindset by celebrating the steps taken to get to the end result. Modeling the act of making mistakes and deciding on new action plans based on the learning from the mistakes will help students see that they are also allowed to take risks in our learning environment.
02
Which mindset will you choose?
As our campus is a Great Expectations model school we focus on several life principles that align with a growth mindset. During our daily meetings we will discuss how our weekly life principle will help us in our choice to live a growth mindset. For example, students can be asked to think about ways they can show fortitude at school, home, or afterschool activities.
04
Put Growth Mindset to Action
Learning in our classroom will have lots of opportunities for students to learn to use a growth mindset. Building lessons with higher level questioning will help students understand there might not be just one simple answer. This will help boost their confidence in taking risks. Our classroom will be an environment where students help each other so that they become comfortable learning from their peers versus feeling in competition with their classmates.
Introducing the Message of "Yet"
Being an elementary school teacher means we wear many hats. We are not only responsible for teaching children academic content, but we also build character. In order to help students understand the important message of "yet," we will read "The Magical Yet" by Angela DiTerlizzi. This relatable story teaches children to embrace challenges. Children are often frustrated when they cannot accomplish something instantly. Hearing this message will help our learners understand that learning is a journey. It is okay to sit in our discomfort for a bit while we learn along the way. Although we can't accomplish our goal "yet" with practice, determination, and fortitude we will get there! Reading this book at the beginning of the year will provide a reference to turn back to as we approach productive struggles in our classroom activities.
Leading by example...
As a teacher expecting students to adopt a growth mindset model, I must lead by example not only in my classroom, but in my life.
Classroom
Showing students resiliency in the classroom as I make mistakes will help them see how I choose to use a growth mindset in my own life. Often times I will share areas where I struggle myself and share my though process in how I have overcome those struggles in a way that is relatable for them. This will help students feel safe with challenges in our own classroom.
Master Courses
Juggling work, family life, and a master's degree coursework will be a time in my life that will take great effort. Adopting a growth mindset during this time will be vital. There will be times of discomfort and failure. I must remember to learn from feedback, use the help of my peers, and be comfortable in my discomfort. Without discomfort, there will be no growth.
Home
Being a mother means that I have four children who watch how I react to obstacles and challenges in my life. Them watching how I react to the stressors of work, school, and home will result in how they handle challenges. Helping my children recognize their accomplishments after setbacks will be important in helping them also develop their growth mindsets. Going forward, it will be important to decide how to praise my children for their accomplishments.
References
C
Class Dojo. (2016, January 19) Growth Mindset (1 of 5) Social
Emotional Learning for Kids. [Video] YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zrtHt3bBmQ
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Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success.
Ballantine Books.
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Jeffrey, S. (2024, April 21). How to Change Your Mindset from
Fixed to Growth: A Definitive Guide.