A growth mindset is the ability to believe that basic abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication. This idea is compared to the opposite idea which can be defined as a fixed mindset. This is something that a lot of people don’t think about when going through school but is a critical idea to think about. In a video about mindset created by Dr. Rachel Turney, she mentions the idea that in a fixed mindset the brain and talents are fixed traits compared to a growth mindset believes these are just the starting points. Personally, I don’t think people will learn this concept unless they are also going through education classes and I think its something that all students to need to learn. It affects people in real world and not just in a school setting. Why is this idea important?
I think one of the most common examples of a fixed mindset happens around middle school or high school years. A student takes a math quiz and doesn’t do as well as they might have hoped. Instead of coming to the conclusion that they need to work a little harder or they are almost able to master a concept, they instantly fall back on the idea that they aren’t good at math or that they are stupid. I had similar feelings about chemistry in high school. The problem with this idea is a student shuts down when they receive this criticism. A fixed mindset student loses motivation and shuts down where as a growth mindset student is fueled to work even harder to get better. I want students to have the motivation to learn from what they got incorrect and work even harder.
I think trying to foster a growth mindset in your class is important but also difficult. A big idea that Carol Dweck explains is using the word ‘yet’. “I haven’t mastered this concept…yet.” When a student does poorly on an assignment, it shouldn’t be the end of the world. They should have the want and desire to learn and master these ideas. One main focus for me in my future classroom is to avoid praising intelligence. This can lead students to a fixed mindset. Instead of praising student’s intelligence, I want to praise their effort. As long as students are working hard and giving me their best effort, that’s all you can ask for. Another focus is to expand and create diverse teaching strategies to promote a learning environment for all students. Different strategies are going to help different students and I want to be able to foster to all my students in my classroom. In my classroom, I want students to be able to grow throughout the year and focusing on a growth mindset sets these students up to do so.
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