Teaching Growth Mindset
A couple of years ago the term Growth Mindset was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck and has changed the way many educators motivate their students. Growth mindset means that you ask questions, believe mistakes make you better, and you truly do your best. Essentially, having a Growth Mindset means that you understand that you might not have a firm grasp on a topic, but you are content in knowing that you are learning and believe you will improve with hard work. This concept of having a Growth Mindset is so important to implement in elementary education.
It is important for children to have a mindset where they are proud of their work ethic rather than straight A's. If we don't teach students that mistakes are how we get better and improve, they will believe they failed and will be stuck in what is called a Fixed Mindset. Having a Fixed Mindset means that you allow mistakes to discourage you, you don't believe you're good enough, and you don't think you have the potential to improve your work.
If we as educators take the time to implement the practice of a Growth Mindset in ourselves and in our classroom, our children are more likely to be encouraged to do better and do their best, which inevitably improves their test scores and confidence at the same time. Showing kids that we believe in them and that they should believe in their selves is very powerful. There are many ways of implementing this concept into the classroom including through read-a-louds, anchor charts, and classroom discussions. Many teachers have posters on their walls that are flooded with "I Can" statements and positive reinforcement that helps promote Growth Mindset. Some texts that I have found that encourage a conversation of Growth Mindset are:
It is important for children to have a mindset where they are proud of their work ethic rather than straight A's. If we don't teach students that mistakes are how we get better and improve, they will believe they failed and will be stuck in what is called a Fixed Mindset. Having a Fixed Mindset means that you allow mistakes to discourage you, you don't believe you're good enough, and you don't think you have the potential to improve your work.
If we as educators take the time to implement the practice of a Growth Mindset in ourselves and in our classroom, our children are more likely to be encouraged to do better and do their best, which inevitably improves their test scores and confidence at the same time. Showing kids that we believe in them and that they should believe in their selves is very powerful. There are many ways of implementing this concept into the classroom including through read-a-louds, anchor charts, and classroom discussions. Many teachers have posters on their walls that are flooded with "I Can" statements and positive reinforcement that helps promote Growth Mindset. Some texts that I have found that encourage a conversation of Growth Mindset are:
- What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
- Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak
- She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
- The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein
One simple read-a-loud of just one of these texts to a classroom at the beginning of the year can help a teacher establish a positive atmosphere that encourages growth and perseverance, even through the most daunting of tests and challenges.
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