Okay, so I have Growth Mindset, now what?

The Missing Link

In my original Growth Mindset assignment I explained how I'd seen Power of Yet posters around my campus and heard a few teachers mention growth versus fixed mindset but I didn't see any proof of in-depth explanation to the students or examples of real life application. Inconsistent and ambiguous mentions of growth mindset does not give students what they need to understand, identify or apply it. It's like giving someone a car who can't drive. So how do we take our students from conception to application?

Assembly Required

In my revised Growth Mindset presentation I define growth mindset, provided specific examples of application and used celebrities I knew my students loved and would identify with as additional examples of application. Let's take a look at a few questions and breakdown how we can modify the practices of Growth Mindset to better suit our students.

What other factors need to be considered if you wish to have an impact on the Growth Mindset?

On slide 8 of my Growth Mindset presentation I take a moment to acknowledge a few barriers that may present themselves when trying to develop a growth mindset in our students.

• Environment

• Family

• Friends

• Peer Pressure

• Social Media

I teach 8th grade and middle school is such a formative and insecure time in a child's life. What I see in most of my students is the need to "fit in", not stand out, or bring attention to yourself in anyway, unless it's negative (class clown). Most of my students fear asking questions in an open setting because they don't want to "look" stupid. During open discussion or Q&A I have to bribe students with snacks and candy to respond outloud, and when they do, they're almost always have the correct answer. People often say, students spend more time at school that they do at home, and this is true; however, they don't spend their while day in the same classroom with the same teacher. So students experience different teaching styles, classroom management structures, and learning environments throughout the day. What I practice in my room may not be what "Ms. Smith" practices in her room. These environmental inconsistency can slow down the development process.

Family and friends can also interrupt the development if they are not on the same track. For this reason I believe growth mindset trainings and seminars should be open to the entire community. This way, what is being modeled at school and also be modeled in friend groups and homes.

Peer pressure and social media push kids to be the same. Everyone should look the same, act the same, like the same things, and dislike the same things. A key element in developing growth mindset is individuality. Dweck acknowledges that we can all "grow" but that doesn't mean that we are growing at the same speed and to the same heights. Therefore wanting the remain in the safety net of "normalcy" can hinder one's ability to reach their maximum potential.

How will you model the growth mindset and the message of "Yet" to your learners?

Being in graduate school and modeling the Power of Yet is like having the answers to the test. My innovation plan is student ePortfolios and when I initially informed my students that they would be building their own websites not using Google Sites, there was an audible gasp. Before they could begin to tell me why they couldn't do it, I showed them my eP. I showed them the editing space how I created pages, menus and submenus. I even shared with them my grade in EDLD 5305, which to them wasn't a big deal because all they saw was a "B". Aftering explaining to them why I earned a B in the class, the literature review, and sharing the goal I set for myself in EDLD 5320 when I have to revise it, they understood that although I didn't get the result I wanted, an "A" was still a possibility if I continued to apply myself and use my shortcomings as steps to my next victory.

How can the growth mindset help limit some of your student's preoccupation with grades?

Student's preoccupation with grades is a learned behavior perpetrated by a poorly designed education system. I am a Texas educator and in the 8th grade, students take standardized tests in all four content areas. The stress that comes over my students after the Winter Break is almost too unbearable to witness. They attach so much of their worth and identity to their test results. Of course you have students who historically test well and are high achievers, but that cloud of stress doesn't pass them by. Developing a growth mindset in students releases them of the prison of perfection and exposes them to the the freedom of exploration and discovery. Unfortunately due to strict expectation on core teachers to "teach" so many concepts in a short amount of time, I am not sure how we can truly liberate our students in today's classrooms.

How can we prevent the growth mindset from becoming a fad or being improperly implemented?

Kristen of Kristenskaboodle.com has a great article on how to avoid the pitfall that lead to false growth mindset. "One way to avoid false growth mindset is to praise the effort that leads to intended outcomes. Instead of praising ineffective effort, support the student in finding a more effective strategy. Students should understand that effort isn’t the magical solution to every problem. We don’t want them to become overly obsessed with effort, stubbornly persisting with ineffective strategies. Wet want them to understand when to ask for help and how to use available resources." In Dweck's "Mindset" she talks about praising effort. However, in a later edition of her book she reveals that some people had fallen victim to false growth mindset. In the Kristen Kaboodle article she perfectly articulates how to redirect students from ineffective effort to productive strategies. If a student is showing effort but not yielding results, then we should be addressing the strategies and introducing other resources that can help the students get the results they desire.

How can we move our learners toward reigniting or adopting a Learner's Mindset?

In EDLE 5313, Creating a Significant Learning Environment, one of our assignments was our Learning Philosophy. In my learning philosophy I addressed the importance of field trips. Dr. Dwayne Harapnuik defines a learner's mindset as, a state of being where people act on their intrinsic capacity to learn and respond to their inquisitive nature that leads to viewing all interactions with the world as learning opportunities. This state enables one to interact with and influence the learning environment as a perpetual learner who has the capacity to use change and challenges as opportunities for growth." What stands out to me in his definition is the first sentence, specifically, "...interactions with the world as learning opportunities." In order of our students have interactions with the world, they need to be in the world.I teach in a Title I district that serves families with limited disposable income. Most families in my district spend their money on their families necessities. Outings like the museum, fine dining, art galleries, etc. are not on their radar, making sure the basic needs of their family is. This is why students should be going on more field trips. I know that COVID, for a moment, made field trips obsolete but we need to lean back into provided our students experiences in the real world. In my Yearbook class we are taking a field trip next week to the Harris County Cultural Arts Center. They are currently featuring a new photography exhibit, FotoFest, displaying work from two local artist. For most of my students this will be their first experience visiting an art gallery. During the field trip that will apply what we have been learning about photojournalism in an actual photo gallery. They will identify elements such as, lighting, shadows, color, composition, and depth and write about their experience in their collaborative journals which will eventually be transitioned over to blogs in the ePortfolios.

Resources

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Harapnuik, D. (2021, February 9). Learner’s mindset explained. It’s All about Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8705

Kristen Kaboodle. (n.d.). How to avoid the pitfalls that lead to false growth mindset. Kristen Kaboodle. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://kirstenskaboodle.com/how-to-avoid-the-pitfalls-that-lead-to-false-growth-mindset/#:~:text=One%20way%20to%20avoid%20false,magical%20solution%20to%20every%20problem.