Growth Mindset

I had not heard of Carol Dweck prior to watching her Ted Talk "The Power of Believing That You Can Improve," although I feel that I have heard the growth mindset mentioned at some point. After watching the video, I agree with much of what she had to say. Many students are not concerned with the process of learning, only the results. I believe that this is because many teaches are also only concerned with results instead of the learning process, as often times, results (good grades in this case) can be seen even when learning hasn't occurred. This can prevent teachers from challenging their students to learn and can lead to students simply regurgitating what they already know instead of seeking new knowledge. In fact, I feel that this was probably the case for me in many of my high school classes. 

I really like the idea of "Not Yet" as a grading tool. With proper feedback, "Not Yet" can show a student that they are making progress (learning) while telling them what they need to improve on, but without saying they have failed. This can allow a teacher to really challenge a student without destroying their confidence, furthering their ability and desire to learn, and helping  them move away from the fixed-mindset.

I also appreciated this quote from the transcript: "But praising the process that kids engage in, their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance, their improvement. This process praise creates kids who are hardy and resilient." Students need to know that many difficulties in life can be overcome with hard work and perseverance and that simply being intelligent doesn't always go far if you aren't willing to put in the work. 

I am very interested in growth mindset, not only for my future students, but also for myself as a learner, teacher, and coach. I look forward to learning more about this throughout this semester and beyond. 

The bigger the challenge, the more you stretch

(Source: Growth Mindset Memes Blog)