GROWTH MINDSET
“The Growth Mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts, your strategies, and help from others.”
Carol Dweck, Author of Mindset The New Psychology of Success
Reflection
I have always thought I was not enough, and I always kept to myself in school and at work. I did what was expected of me and nothing more or less. Since learning about a Growth Mindset over the summer, I started speaking my ideas to the ones that listened. I realized that I have many great ideas and shared my ideas with those that motivated me to put these ideas into action. Speaking in front of a crowd or responding to someone I do not know personally is something I would not have done before. Earlier this year, our Superintendent sent out an email for teachers to share about hope, why it is essential, what you do to keep it alive, and what makes you hopeful, and I replied to it. Out of many teacher entries, mine was shared by the Superintendent with everyone in the district. Before the Growth Mindset, I would not have shared or even replied to the Superintendent’s email.
As I kept sharing ideas and applying what I had learned in the ADL program, my principal asked me to present to other teachers in my school. I shared my digital student data tracker on Google Slides. Teachers love the idea and create their own.
This is a student tracker on Google Slides that are posted on Schoology. Once the students click the Google Slide, it automatically makes a copy for each student. Students can make necessary changes.
How can you help your learner develop a growth mindset?
Learners will know the four steps to a Growth Mindset:
Step 1: Learn to hear your “Fixed” Mindset voice
Step 2: Recognize that you have a choice
Step 3: Talk back to it with a Growth Mindset voice
Step 4: Take the Growth Mindset action
Words of encouragement like “You can do it,” “Hard work pays off,” and “Put effort into it.” Students will know the Power of YET! They will understand that with hard work, they can achieve their goals. They are not there yet, but they can be there.
How will you modify your use of the Growth Mindset?
I translated the Growth Mindset and The Power of YET! into Spanish to modify the Growth Mindset. For my students to start understanding, they must hear it in their native language. I have also added words of encouragement in Spanish and English around the classroom.
Spanish resources are limited, therefore I translated the Growth Mindset Vs the Fixed Mindset into Spanish.
It is important for my students and I have to have resources available for us in our native language.
How will you model the growth mindset and the message of “Yet” to your learners?
When I make mistakes in school, I point them out and fix them. I demonstrate to students that mistakes happen, and when we realize there is a mistake, we fix it. I remind students that we are not there YET!! We will get there if we use our strategies and go back to correct our mistakes if we look at our work and ask ourselves, “Did I do my best?” “Can I add more details?” “Is this my best work?” I allow students to correct their work, enabling them to learn from their mistakes—another way it to read books about Growth Mindset to students. Students also feel more comfortable asking teachers and peers for help if needed.
What other factors need to be considered if you wish to impact the Growth Mindset?
To help students develop a growth mindset, they set goals and make action plans to achieve them. Students set weekly goals on Monday, reflect on goals on Wednesday, and on Friday, they will measure how much they have grown and if they met their goals. For this to be effective, teachers must be consistent with student goal-setting. Students look forward to using their strengths to make their weaknesses stronger. When goal setting, students need to set realistic and achievable goals. Providing feedback to my students timely is essential so students can reflect. If we do not provide feedback, students will not have the opportunity to grow from their mistakes.
Grades
Schools should be for measuring experience, not test scores. Learners should connect the dots to their learning experience instead of collecting them. If students see the progress, they will keep working hard, continue asking for help, and be engaged in lessons. Grades on assignments will not be as stressful as before. Students will focus on how they can make the assignment better and not be focused on a grade.
False Growth Mindset
To avoid a false Growth Mindset, I praise students for their efforts, like following directions, being creative, and helping a group member, to name a few. I use what I know as the “sandwich,” which is a positive statement, something they need to work on, and closing with something positive. Learners hear something positive from the beginning, do not shut down, hear what they need to develop, and leave with positive thoughts. Since they know they have two positive things, learners will work to improve in the required areas. After closing a unit or turning in the final assignments, students should reflect on what they would do differently. What can they improve? And How will they keep using what they have learned?
What role does grit play?
Grit is keeping working towards it even if it is hard. Not everything is easy, but it is achievable by learning from mistakes and not giving up when things start falling apart. For a growth mindset, adults must be consistent and set student expectations. Conferencing with students and letting them know how we are progressing is vital.
Learners Mindset
The Growth Mindset is a good start, but we need a combination of GRIT, The Power of YET! and Creating a Significant Learning Environment to get students engaged and motivated to learn. Building relationships and showing students we care about them, and their future is vital for students’ Growth Mindset development. We want to prepare students to be innovative and creative. We want learners to know that curve balls will come at them fast, but how they react is up to them. With these skills, I hope to instill a learner’s mindset in my students.
Resources
The following table is a list for teachers to learn more about the Growth Mindset and the other column titled Resources for Students is resources teachers can use with their students.
Resources for Teachers
https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/mindset/: Growth Mindset Planhttps://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8705
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Resources for Students
References
CLabod, A. the A. (2022, October 7). Message from dr. Latonya M. Goffney, superintendent of Aldine ISD. Aldine ISD. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.aldineisd.org/2022/10/03/message-from-dr-latonya-m-goffney-superintendent-of-aldine-isd-4/
Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: How We Can Learn to fulfill our potential. Ballantine Books.
Harapnuik, D. (2021, February 9). Learner’s Mindset Explained. Harapnuik.org. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8705
Kohn, A. (2021, June 25). The “mindset” mindset. Alfie Kohn. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/mindset/
MathsPathway. (2020). “The power of yet” with Gromo & Friends – Growth mindset for students. YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://youtu.be/Mjw0EpPHLlE.
Sesame Street. (2014). Sesame Street: Janelle Monae – Power of Yet. YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://youtu.be/XLeUvZvuvAs.
Stop stealing dreams: Seth Godin at tedxyouth@bfs. YouTube. (2012, October 16). Retrieved July 1, 2022, from https://youtu.be/sXpbONjV1Jc
Tmb Panyee Fc short film. YouTube.(YouTube. (2011). ) Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU4oA3kkAWU.
The Power of believing that you can improve | Carol Dweck. YouTube. (YouTube. (2014).) Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0mgOOSpLU.
YouTube. (2017). Jordan Growth Mindset. YouTube. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3FCbP8rdRU.
YouTube. (2021). Luca 2021 | Silenzio Bruno scene. YouTube. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7beV82fr4g.
Wow! Ms. Cortez thank you for sharing! I can see that you care deeply about teachers’ and students’ mindsets. I am so eager to start using your Goal setting schedule.
Thank you for sharing about your experience with having a growth mindset and how it has transcended into your students growth. I love how you have visuals that you have created for your classroom represented on your page. Also, as I have talked to other teachers on campus, they are loving your ideas and have also implemented some of these ideas into their own classrooms.
This is an awesome website. I like how you show where you set goals and then reflect at the end to see if you have meet them. The visuals helps to give a clear idea of what your expectations for your students as well as yourself. Growth mindset is something that extends from you to your students. It shows in all the work you have done to put into these pages. Keep up the great work!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing. This site is valuable to all, students and teachers/staff alike. The balance of visuals, writing, and videos allow you to transition from one piece to another without feeling overwhelmed. I can truly see a shift in your mindset. I see Growth Mindset anchor charts in your classroom and have heard you use “the power of yet” when responding to your colleagues and students. When positivity engulfs your mind, it will definitely trickle down to students. Having students set weekly goals is a superb idea. Metacognition affects all who think and reflect on what they have done, are doing, and will do, so I know your students will be successful this school year and YOU WILL too. I’m so proud of your hard work, dedication and passion to OG. Keep rocking it friend!!!
Growth mindset is so important. Students come with a defeatist mentality sometimes and teaching them to have a growth mindset shows them that they don’t have to know everything then and there. Teaching them that they can learn what they don’t know and giving them the confidence to try goes a long way. This is awesome information for anyone to apply to their life and pass on to others. You did terrific with this!
This is a great example of how to show real life experience as an educator with a growing mindset. Great job!
What an awesome repertoire of information you shared here. Everything falls into place…the visuals, texts, and videos are all connected. Four things that really struct me ….. GRIT, The Power of YET, Building Relationship, and Creating a Significant Learning Environment to get students engaged and motivated to learn. This is a very helpful resource for everyone not just for the teachers but to the whole populace in education.