Embrace Struggle #SAVMP 2:3

The Growth Mindset – Not Just a Kid Thing

The research by Carol Dweck has been so affirming for me as an educator. As a teacher, I always loved the most challenging students in my class because they caused me to grow and become a better teacher EVERY day. I was frequently setting goals and trying to grow and improve, and I also believed those same “hard to teach” students could grow at any second, minute, or hour of the day. I made it my personal challenge to meet them where they were and to unlock the key to their learning. Many times these were the students who were despised by other teachers. I even became the classroom where students who were kicked out of other classes ended up--yep, a new schedule was written with Rine as the new teacher! LOL. With my teaching eyes, I would size up every single student and ask myself the question, “How can I help you learn?” Many times, the obstacle was helping the student understand that they COULD achieve. Conquering a fixed mindset in a student can be a challenge.

With that sort of growth mindset in my teaching past, I have been so invigorated by Dweck’s research which is extremely popular right now. The growth mindset ensures that the opportunities for learning are present for the students. I am devastated, DEVASTATED, when I hear educator conversations that include statements like: “Oh, that teacher has (Insert name here) in his/her class. They can’t do anything with THAT child.” 

Our mindset has power. We can have a FIXED mindset where we let failure define who we are or a GROWTH mindset where we see setbacks as opportunities to grow and improve ourselves. I think of my short bout with cancer. I could be mad about the fact that I had to live through a season with cancer, and my life will never be the same because of it OR I can reflect on that difficult time and look for ways it has made me a stronger person. Probably the one way I see that experience as valuable has been the conversations and advice I have been able to give those who walk the "cancer walk" for the first time. I can share my experiences and help them know that it is not always fatal even though it will be traumatic. As teachers and educators, we encounter some very damaged children--maybe it is not cancer damage but we see physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and worse. I mourn that so many of them have seen so much evil in their short lives. But, I never count any of them out of the game. No matter how mischievous, lying or conniving a child might be, I show them the pathway to truth and life and especially the roads where education can lead them. I believe they can all grow. This  mindset can also translate to our impact on students. Do we view our students with a growth mindset and believe that they have the power to change their circumstances? Or do we view them with a fixed mindset that they cannot rise above their circumstances? To be a CHAMPION for a child, you must view them with a growth mindset.

Here are some resources from Project Happiness that compare and contrast the fixed vs. growth mindset. We are focusing on the growth mindset as part of our #SpeakLife theme this year at our school.

  Excerpted from: Project Happiness 

It Is up to you!	FIXED MINDSET Belief that intelligence, personality and character are carved in stone; potential is determined at birth.	GROWTH MINDSET Belief that intelligence, personality, and character can be developed! A person’s true potential is unknown and unknowable.
Desire	Look smart in every situation and prove myself over and over again. Never fail!	Stretch myself, take risks and learn. Bring on the challenges!
Evaluation of Situations	Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart of dumb?	Will this allow me to grow? Will this help me overcome some of my challenges?
Dealing with Setbacks	“I’m a failure.” OR “I’m an idiot.”	“I failed.” BUT “I will try harder next time.”
Challenges	Avoid challenges, get defensive or give up easily.	Embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks.
Effort	Why bother? It’s not going to change anything.	Growth and learning require effort.
Criticism	Ignore constructive criticism.	Learn from criticism. How can I improve?
Success of Others	Feel threatened by the success of others. If you succeed, then I fail.	Find lessons & inspiration in other people’s success.
Result	Plateau early, achieve less than my potential.	Reach ever-higher levels of achievement.

Here is a video from Dweck that we watched during our pre-service training days. I encourage you to shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. #YouCanLearnAnything

Follow this link if this video display below for you! #YouCanLearnAnything