Growth Mindset

Growth mindset describes a way of viewing challenges and setbacks. People who have a growth mindset believe that even if they struggle with certain skills, their abilities aren't set in stone. They think that with work, their skills can improve over time.

Growth mindset is the belief that a person can change and develop their intellect, talents, and abilities over time. Carol Dweck, the Author of Mindset, talks about the "Yet"in the Growth Mindset. "Yet” takes you on a journey of growth. Despite being sometimes easily discouraged or frustrated, or not being where you want to be, remember the best is "Yet" to come.

The Power of “Yet”

“If you get a failing grade, you think I’m nothing, I’m nowhere. But if you get the grade “Not Yet” you understand that you’re on a learning curve. It gives you a path into the future.”

Carol Dweck

The concept of "Yet" is so empowering. It lets you know that even though you haven't met that challenge, you can and will do it, you just haven't done it "YET". During my time as a student I always sought to be the best, my goal was to be 1st in my class, but then I forgot everything because I was studying to reach that position and not to grow in mentality. Nowadays, with my role as a teacher, I look for my students to grow and develop their learning correctly and to be able to evaluate what they have learned, while finding their real focus. Everyday I have parents messaging me saying, "My student was a straight A student last year, what can I do to bring his/her grades up?" (Dweck, 2014). I tell my parents and my students that I am looking for growth and that is the environment in my classroom. I tell my students that they are doing very well and celebrate them with great importance. I don't distinguish one in specific, I speak to them as if success belongs to everyone. I focus on growth and I get my students to do the same. I tell them everyday, if someone is missing to complete any assignment, you just haven't mastered this skill "yet." It has been so powerful in my classroom. When I watched the video “Developing a Growth Mindset" (2014), I was blown away when Dweck showed the illustration of how the brain was "on fire'' with "YET!” The brain loves "yet" too! The word "yet" creates a sense of confidence in a person. It lets you know that even though you haven't been successful with this skill or challenge, that you can still do it. You can still learn, grow, and progress. You just haven't done it "yet.

The power of yet in regards to digital innovation, is that we must face others with why it should be done and give them a higher purpose. As I would like to collaborate with teachers, this is a big stepping stone in my Innovation Proposal RT. If I could guide them in the why and benefits then that would more than likely lend themselves to growth and change. That is a big part of my Literature Review which gives a foundation to a lot of why that triggers the purpose in digital innovation, which in turn, enables a growth mindset to develop, change, and adapt. This can be applied to students as well. I find myself saying in many instances this is the real world and the work you put in today will determine your outcome in the future. In my original plan, I talked about how my campus was trying to concentrate on positivity for students to stay motivated in their small group or station rotations. I still have some work to do to implement my plan fully, such as reminding my students how they can utilize working and helping them reflect on their progress when in small groups. When walking around to my class, I have seen students ask reflective questions so we are on the right track.

My campus is new, we are an open school this 2022-2023 school year, so there are many changes in the works to help students reach their full potential. The principal always say the "power of yet" when she introduces some plan, so I feel confident that I can work on the professional development course I have designed to align with my Innovation Plan to offer time, which is to purposefully create a significant learning environment using Blended Learning Station Rotation Two Way Dual Language.

"The hallmark of successful people is that they are always stretching themselves to learn new things. You don't know what your abilities are until you make a full commitment to developing them" -Carol Dwek

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

“With practice, training, and above all, method, we manage to increase our attention, our memory, our judgment and literally to become more intelligent than we were before.”

Alfred Binet

Really restructuring all my innovation plan in this growth mindset strategy will allow me to reach my proposal in higher standards, because it does not limit my students, their goals grow and they see them as true and strong:

1) Intelligence can be developed. A fixed mindset might say intelligence is static.
2) Embrace challenges.
3) Persist in the face of setbacks.
4) See effort as a path to mastery.
5) Learn from criticism.
5 ½) Find inspiration in the success of others.

To conclude, While being mindful of the rigor, teachers need to scaffold the learning so all students are successful in their classes (Wilson, 2019). The curriculum must be high-quality and purposeful so students are experiencing deep thinking. Wilson (2019) explained how productive struggle is needed for true learning to occur and this is a consistent battle many schools are currently facing. However, with proper modeling of a growth mindset, we can gradually see a difference in how students react to an assignment that requires a higher level of thinking and analysis. I like the new expectation of seeing every paradigm in innovation and change. Growth mindset isn’t something that people are always born with. Kids and adults can develop the belief that things that are hard to do now may not always be hard.

References

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/growth-mindset

Dweck, Carol S (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success.

https://scottjeffrey.com/change-your-fixed-mindset/