As educators, we want all of the students we teach to profit from their effort. A growth mindset - ours and theirs - helps students to seek learning, to love learning and to learn effectively.
We can make a difference:
As educators we can intervene and help to change mindsets which does have a positive impact on their growth.
Mindsets can also be unintentionally changed. What we do in our classrooms, whatever our language, we are shaping kid's mindsets.
eg consider the grading system: A B C Not Yet You are creating the expectation that they will be able to do it.
Students with a fixed mindset will not seek remedial help. eg if you offer a tutorial on something I can't do; "Why would I go back for that? This is how smart I am - I'm only a 2 out of 5 in this. I'd just be going back for another kicking to my self esteem."
When teachers believe in fixed intelligence the students who start the year at the top of the class end up at the top and those who start out at the bottom end up there.
When teachers hold a growth mindset, many students who start out lower in the class blossom during the year and join the high achievers.
Messages that motivate:
Praising intelligence develops a fixed mindset, they then reject a challenging task they could learn from, instead selecting a task that would make them look smart.
Students who are praised for their effort enter a growth mindset. They wanted the challenge, they maintained their confidence and enjoyment in the face of difficulty and end up performing better.
As educators we can intervene and help to change mindsets which does have a positive impact on their growth.
Mindsets can also be unintentionally changed. What we do in our classrooms, whatever our language, we are shaping kid's mindsets.
eg consider the grading system: A B C Not Yet You are creating the expectation that they will be able to do it.
Students with a fixed mindset will not seek remedial help. eg if you offer a tutorial on something I can't do; "Why would I go back for that? This is how smart I am - I'm only a 2 out of 5 in this. I'd just be going back for another kicking to my self esteem."
When teachers believe in fixed intelligence the students who start the year at the top of the class end up at the top and those who start out at the bottom end up there.
When teachers hold a growth mindset, many students who start out lower in the class blossom during the year and join the high achievers.
Messages that motivate:
Praising intelligence develops a fixed mindset, they then reject a challenging task they could learn from, instead selecting a task that would make them look smart.
Students who are praised for their effort enter a growth mindset. They wanted the challenge, they maintained their confidence and enjoyment in the face of difficulty and end up performing better.
Growth or Fixed - Surveys
Take these quick surveys to assess the current mindset within yourself, your students, your classroom, and your school, and identify areas where you can develop your mindset.
1. What's My Mindset? (for age 12 to adult) Assess your current personal mindset and how it may be impacting your success.
2. What's My Students' Motivational Challenge Level? Assess your students' current motivational behavior in the classroom.
3. What's My Classroom Mindset? (Part 1) Assess the mindset of your current classroom environment and how it may be impacting your students' motivation.
4. What's My School Mindset? Assess the mindset of your current school environment and how it may be impacting the motivation and success of both staff and students.
To access the surveys click here
1. What's My Mindset? (for age 12 to adult) Assess your current personal mindset and how it may be impacting your success.
2. What's My Students' Motivational Challenge Level? Assess your students' current motivational behavior in the classroom.
3. What's My Classroom Mindset? (Part 1) Assess the mindset of your current classroom environment and how it may be impacting your students' motivation.
4. What's My School Mindset? Assess the mindset of your current school environment and how it may be impacting the motivation and success of both staff and students.
To access the surveys click here
Useful Websites
Teaching students to embrace mistakes. Visit webpage here
Whiteboarding with mistakes: The mistake game. Kelly O'Shea Visit webpage here
Developing a growth mindset in the classroom: Matt Bromley's Blog Visit webpage here
Nurturing Intrinsic Motivation and Growth Mindset in Writing: Edutopia site:- Visit webpage here
Introducing Growth mindsets:- Two class activities:- "Here a couple activities I did with my students in working with Mindset. First we worked in pairs to rewrite fixed mindset phrases into growth mindset phrases. Then we researched famous people who struggled at some point in their lives and how they overcame those obstacles. What struggles and successes did they have in their lives? I hope these activities help your students come to a better understanding of mindset."
Whiteboarding with mistakes: The mistake game. Kelly O'Shea Visit webpage here
Developing a growth mindset in the classroom: Matt Bromley's Blog Visit webpage here
Nurturing Intrinsic Motivation and Growth Mindset in Writing: Edutopia site:- Visit webpage here
Introducing Growth mindsets:- Two class activities:- "Here a couple activities I did with my students in working with Mindset. First we worked in pairs to rewrite fixed mindset phrases into growth mindset phrases. Then we researched famous people who struggled at some point in their lives and how they overcame those obstacles. What struggles and successes did they have in their lives? I hope these activities help your students come to a better understanding of mindset."
My Favourite 'No'Leah Alcala gives her students a warm-up problem at the beginning of every class, which they solve on index cards. She quickly sorts through them, and from the wrong answers chooses her "favourite no." She and her kids then analyse what's right about the solution before delving in to what the writer doesn't understand that led them to answer incorrectly.
Fantastic way to re-inforce the idea of learning from mistakes, giving feedback that moves the learner forward and developing a growth mindset. |
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