Growth Mindset

Carol Dweck

Growth Mindset in Education

1/30/2019 - Chassidy Williams, M.Ed.

Preceding why the growth mindset is so important, we should first begin with what is a growth mindset. As defined by Carol S. Dweck in her publishing’s, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2008); the growth mindset is the, “belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts" (Dweck, p.7). This ideation is in complete opposition to the fixed mindset that presumes, “your qualities are carved in stone” (Dweck, p.6).

I have heard my students say numerous times, "Mrs. Williams, I can't pass that test" or "I can't pass that class." Students feel this way because their scores and failing grades are constant reminders that they are being graded and judged based on their performance and not their growth. Somewhere in their educational journey, they were taught the fixed mindset. Despite it being taught directly, indirectly, or subconsciously; we have all surrendered to the mindset that our grades or test scores are a reflection of who we are. Thankfully, this is not true! As educators, we must redirect our students' fixed mindset. The growth mindset is so very critical for students to adapt. Without functioning in a growth mindset, students will turn into adults who are fearful of change and will not seek growth personally, professionally, or economically. Students who desire to continue in the face of adversity and setbacks, is what a society requires in order to move forward, thrive, and innovate.

​Four Steps to Changing Your Mindset

Author Carol Dweck provided 4 steps that will assist in changing students mindsets away from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset:

Step 1. Learn to hear your fixed mindset.

Step 2. Recognize that you have a voice.

Step 3. Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice.

Step 4. Take the growth mindset action.

Incorporating these four steps into the classrooms or in my case, counseling sessions in my office, is essential for the well-being of my students. One way I will incorporate the four step process is to converse with students while they are in my office and suggest ways in which they could implement them. In my experience, I have found that high school age students are not always as open as educators would prefer them to be. For this reason, I will utilize technology as the starting point to begin the conversation.

In my counselors suite, I have several tablets that will be used for my students to take mindset surveys. These surveys will consist of questions that will lead to the determination of which mindset the student possesses. After answering the questions, the survey will provide the results for the student to view. The results will spark a conversation that will be more in depth, honest, and in a safe environment in which the growth mindset can begin to flourish. ​Periodically, I will have my students retake the survey to track their mindset growth.

The Power of "Yet"​

There is abundance of power in the word "yet". This 3 letter word has the ability to transform thought patterns. The phrase "not yet" is the second wind needed in order to achieve whatever goal that a student may have in mind. To a discouraged student, "yet" is the lifeline that could prevent them from dropping out, failing a class, or from possibly hurting themselves physically. Daily, I work with at-risk students who have fallen behind and are struggling to get through high school. I have found that using the word "yet" when I have to deliver disappointing news, provides hope to my students. "You're not graduating", versus "You're not graduating yet", communicates to the student that their goal has not perished. "Yet" communicates hope, anticipation, expectation, belief, and confidence that eventually, I will reach my goal. I will communicate the power of "yet" to my students in those moments of despair and discouragement that they may experience after receiving a grade less than expected, discovering that they missed passing a state exam by a few points, or even navigating through their social lives such as a break-up or losing a friend. Not only will I continue to apply the power of "yet" to those situations, I will also instruct my students to adopt that same verbiage when they are speaking with me. For example, instead of, "Mrs. Williams, I didn't pass that class", I will challenge them to state, "I didn't pass that class yet" I will re-direct my students way of thinking by the way they communicate their thoughts verbally.

Resources used to Promote a Growth Mindset

In addition to incorporating surveys that I will have my students take through the use of electronic tablets, there are a few additional resources that I will utilize to promote the growth mindset. Short videos on the topic of growth mindset, such as the one below, is a great tool that will further the conversation and foster mindset transformation. As a supplement to the surveys and videos that I will implement to promote the growth mindset, I will also employ video games that encourage the growth mindset in students. In their spare time, students play video games for hours at a time. Usually, until their parents force them to take a break. Is winning the motivating factor behind the hours of play? The answer is no! They play for hours in an attempt to beat the game. Failing at each level and returning until it has been completed, displays a tangible evidence of progress. Therefore, students stay motivated to continue the game because they know that ultimately if they continue to play, they will eventually succeed and beat the game. This is the same type of mindset that they are capable of applying to other areas of their lives. The relentless effort and fortitude that students put into playing video games, should be placed onto their academics, sports, etc.

Edsurge is a video game based learning that promotes the growth mindset.

Growth Mindset in Education

1/30/20190 Comments

Preceding why the growth mindset is so important, we should first begin with what is a growth mindset. As defined by Carol S. Dweck in her publishing’s, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2008); the growth mindset is the, “belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts" (Dweck, p.7). This ideation is in complete opposition to the fixed mindset that presumes, “your qualities are carved in stone” (Dweck, p.6).

Picture

Picture

(Dweck, p.245)

I have heard my students say numerous times, "Mrs. Williams, I can't pass that test" or "I can't pass that class." Students feel this way because their scores and failing grades are constant reminders that they are being graded and judged based on their performance and not their growth. Somewhere in their educational journey, they were taught the fixed mindset. Despite it being taught directly, indirectly, or subconsciously; we have all surrendered to the mindset that our grades or test scores are a reflection of who we are. Thankfully, this is not true! As educators, we must redirect our students' fixed mindset. The growth mindset is so very critical for students to adapt. Without functioning in a growth mindset, students will turn into adults who are fearful of change and will not seek growth personally, professionally, or economically. Students who desire to continue in the face of adversity and setbacks, is what a society requires in order to move forward, thrive, and innovate.

​Four Steps to Changing Your Mindset

Author Carol Dweck provided 4 steps that will assist in changing students mindsets away from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset:

Step 1. Learn to hear your fixed mindset.

Step 2. Recognize that you have a voice.

Step 3. Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice.

Step 4. Take the growth mindset action.

Incorporating these four steps into the classrooms or in my case, counseling sessions in my office, is essential for the well-being of my students. One way I will incorporate the four step process is to converse with students while they are in my office and suggest ways in which they could implement them. In my experience, I have found that high school age students are not always as open as educators would prefer them to be. For this reason, I will utilize technology as the starting point to begin the conversation.

In my counselors suite, I have several tablets that will be used for my students to take mindset surveys. These surveys will consist of questions that will lead to the determination of which mindset the student possesses. After answering the questions, the survey will provide the results for the student to view. The results will spark a conversation that will be more in depth, honest, and in a safe environment in which the growth mindset can begin to flourish. ​Periodically, I will have my students retake the survey to track their mindset growth.

The Power of "Yet"​

There is abundance of power in the word "yet". This 3 letter word has the ability to transform thought patterns. The phrase "not yet" is the second wind needed in order to achieve whatever goal that a student may have in mind. To a discouraged student, "yet" is the lifeline that could prevent them from dropping out, failing a class, or from possibly hurting themselves physically. Daily, I work with at-risk students who have fallen behind and are struggling to get through high school. I have found that using the word "yet" when I have to deliver disappointing news, provides hope to my students. "You're not graduating", versus "You're not graduating yet", communicates to the student that their goal has not perished. "Yet" communicates hope, anticipation, expectation, belief, and confidence that eventually, I will reach my goal. I will communicate the power of "yet" to my students in those moments of despair and discouragement that they may experience after receiving a grade less than expected, discovering that they missed passing a state exam by a few points, or even navigating through their social lives such as a break-up or losing a friend. Not only will I continue to apply the power of "yet" to those situations, I will also instruct my students to adopt that same verbiage when they are speaking with me. For example, instead of, "Mrs. Williams, I didn't pass that class", I will challenge them to state, "I didn't pass that class yet" I will re-direct my students way of thinking by the way they communicate their thoughts verbally.

Resources used to Promote a Growth Mindset

In addition to incorporating surveys that I will have my students take through the use of electronic tablets, there are a few additional resources that I will utilize to promote the growth mindset. Short videos on the topic of growth mindset, such as the one below, is a great tool that will further the conversation and foster mindset transformation.

As a supplement to the surveys and videos that I will implement to promote the growth mindset, I will also employ video games that encourage the growth mindset in students. In their spare time, students play video games for hours at a time. Usually, until their parents force them to take a break. Is winning the motivating factor behind the hours of play? The answer is no! They play for hours in an attempt to beat the game. Failing at each level and returning until it has been completed, displays a tangible evidence of progress. Therefore, students stay motivated to continue the game because they know that ultimately if they continue to play, they will eventually succeed and beat the game. This is the same type of mindset that they are capable of applying to other areas of their lives. The relentless effort and fortitude that students put into playing video games, should be placed onto their academics, sports, etc.

Edsurge is a video game based learning that promotes the growth mindset.

Personal Growth Mindset

I have spoken a great deal on the importance for students to have a growth mindset and the tools I use to help them transform their way of thinking. However, in order for my techniques to be effective, I must posses a growth mindset as well. Not just professionally, but personally. That requires me applying the growth mindset to every area of my life. Currently, a great deal of this concept will need to be applied as I pursue my Master's of Education degree in Digital Learning and Leading. I must approach the program open minded and eager to take positive and negative feedback. Certainly, there are aspects of the program that may be challenging. Nevertheless, it is up to me to quiet those thoughts of doubt and insecurity and speak back to them in opposition. I will also reach out to others who are in the field of educational technology for advise and feedback. I am looking forward to embracing the challenges, learning from them, and improving my skills so that I can lead and innovate with confidence as a digital educator.

References

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset the new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine.

MINDSET. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html

Growth Mindset Motivation. (2015, March 18). Retrieved February 1, 2019, from https://youtu.be/SrsUZgdu1aE

Henry, D. (2018, December 27). ​How Game-Based Learning Encourages Growth Mindset - EdSurge News. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-05-30-how-game-based-learning-encourages-growth-mindset

Mangahigh Games Based Learning Program (US). (2017, February 03). Retrieved February 1, 2019, from https://youtu.be/OeqhRYM1fUw

Developing a Growth Mindset (2014, October 09). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ

(Dweck, p.245)