In preparation to teaching summer school, I read Carol Dweck's, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success". I was asked by my professor to consider which ideas I connected to or was resisting and how this new information affected me personally.
"Becoming is better than being." I feel like this should be my new class moto. In the 1960's this saying came to be. When I read this I paused, I wish I treated myself this way. Is it possible to have your own fixed mindset while being a huge promoter of a growth mindset?... Clearly! I thought to myself. I constantly encourage my students to believe in themselves and to understand that learning is a process and failure is required; yet, I still hold myself to unattainable standards. "A fixed mindset does not allow people the luxury of becoming. They have to already be" (Dweck, 25). What bittersweet truth there are to her words?! As I read more about fixed versus growth mindsets I began to feel conflicted. Did I have a fixed AND growth mindset? Was this even possible? Sure enough, ladies and gentlemen, I do have both. I am a mixture of both mindsets. I recognize areas of my life where I have been a particularly chronic fixed mindset(terer). haha I have to constantly remind myself, I don't have to have it all figured out right now! Take one thing at a time and learn to live in the moment and stop constantly worrying or wondering 'what if?'... In my personal life this pertains to relationships. When I am surrounded by my peers, instead of living in the moment I am constantly processing what I did and how everyone around might have perceived it. As an educator I doubt myself and my ability to be a "good" teacher. This opportunity I have to teach summer school is meant to prepare me, to become a better teacher, and give me more experience. Duh! So why do I feel like if one little thing doesn't go as planned I am a failure? Well, that is my fixed mindset taking over. However, when I self-assess and look back on how far I have come since the beginning of my education I see the growth, how I have handled tough situations calmly (while freaking out on the inside), keeping my kool when issues arise, etc... and I feel confident. Transitioning from a fixed mindset to a growth one takes time, patience, persistence, and constant self-awareness. I am so excited for the day I can walk out of my house and the thought, I wonder what they think of me? doesn't even cross my mind. I hope to instill the growth mindset beliefs in my students. In Carol Dweck's book she discusses different strategies to encourage students to develop their own growth mindset. By designing activities in a team effort format and making it fun students are challenged to practice using growth mindset skills. Multiple themes to consider are character, heart, self-development, self-motivation, and responsibility. To create a growth-mindset environment in the classroom: 1. Present skills as learnable - Setting students up for failure is a huge pet peeve of mine. If you want students to hold tight and not let go of their fixed mindset, you will accomplish it by not giving them the resources and tools to complete the task. I think back to a time of anger towards my teacher for putting questions on the test that we never talked about in class. A straight A student, being forced to miss points due to teacher error. What could be worse? I wept receiving that grade. I shut down and did not feel like trying. After hours of preparing and being optimistic I left very unsatisfied and empty. Introduce the skill, model the skill, have students implement the skill, then assess. 2. Convey that you value learning and perseverance, not just talent - Talent is special but it isn't very impressive. I believe the more exciting accomplishments are when you work hard towards a goal and after many attempts finally succeed. The process, is the beautiful piece, that makes the end result so much sweeter. 3. Give feedback in a way that promotes learning and future success - This last tip may not be what you're expecting. Dweck mentions how to use praise appropriately. I feel this is key in my philosophy of teaching. I need to develop ways to build my students up by praising them and provide feedback that will let them know I appreciate the work they have completed but that is not where the journey ends. I want my students to feel cherished but I have to be careful not to stunt their growth while doing so. Using praise as a tool in the correct way can encourage all students to have a growth outlook. My goal is to work on promoting a growth mindset, challenging my students to break outside of their box, and discover what learning is truly about!
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