Growth Mindset Plan
Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory (2006) is important to the success of all individuals since it asserts, “that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts” (p.6). All too often people get stuck in that rut of believing there are limitations to what they can achieve, and this type of thinking impedes growth. The fear of stepping outside one’s comfort zone to try new things or develop new talents leads to stagnation and halts the progress of the individual. In an educational environment this can be detrimental to young learners since they may give up on themselves at a critical point in their development process. It is crucial for students to continue taking risks in their learning environment in order to grow and prosper as they move into adulthood, but how can we drive those with a “fixed mindset?” (Dweck, 2006) One strong motivator for a learner can be the emphasis of the “yet” in connection with any shortcomings they are experiencing (Dweck, 2006, p. 25). When we frequently reinforce the “yet," we are reminding our learners that even though they may not be an expert in a particular area today, with additional work it can be mastered through future learning and the growth process (Dweck, 2007, p. 25).
One way the message of “yet” (Dweck, 2006) can be communicated to students is by providing frequent and constructive feedback. By giving them feedback and helping them to measure their growth, they will be able to see that failing or earning anything below an “A” is acceptable as long as they are making progress and trying their best. It seems one of the best ways to do this is through computer software since it allows for immediate assessment. Students like instantaneous feedback as to whether or not they have reached a goal and this helps to keep them motivated to try again. Many have learned to crave immediate feedback through their exposure to video games, and although it is not always easy without electronics, it may hold the key to unlocking the growth mindset and keeping the students motivated. When students begin with an end goal in mind, and see the progress being made toward the finish line, it can drive them like we’ve never seen before.
Blended learning could also be a promising addition to a classroom driven by a growth mindset since most learning software gives frequent feedback. I’ve experienced one example of this with my students who are learning English through Rosetta Stone. Even if they don’t say the words correctly the first time, they keep trying to get to the next level in the program because they want to reach that goal. If only we could find a program for all learners that fuses modern and traditional learning together very well, I believe the learners would see the “yet” (Dweck, 2006) in front of them, motivation to learn would be at an all-time high, and academic dishonesty would decline.
When students buy into the growth mindset, there is no longer a need to cheat since the goal is pushing one’s own boundaries to improve, and there is no reason to try to achieve a higher number than the student in the next desk. The only problem with growth mindset is that our grading system is still measured in numbers instead of growth increments. It’s interesting to imagine what the school climate would be like if we were focused on growth rather than competing for class numbers and rank. That being said, I also have to think about the other side of things, are we removing incentive from achievement if we take out the competition factor? Does it go back to that notion of giving all kids a trophy on a team even if their performance is lacking? If everyone is competing against themselves, then achievement may not be noticed or recognized by other classmates, and this could kill the drive of some students in certain cases. I’m not sure what the answer is, but until organizations are willing to try new grading systems, we may never know.
The growth mindset could help limit a student’s preoccupation with grades because it is a growth model. When we divert our attention to where or what we need to improve on rather than fixating on whether we pass or fail, it enables us to focus on the learning itself and takes away the punitive nature of the grading process. This can be especially helpful to students who are struggling to achieve at the level required by the traditional learning process and may help to boost their morale.
The group of learners on my roster whom I’m helping to acquire a growth mindset are my English Language Learners. I often find these students won’t try because they are afraid to make a mistake in front of native English speakers. Luckily, this year I was given two small, sheltered classes, so this has lowered my students’ affective filter. They are now taking risks and speaking English, with a little nudge, in front of the entire class. We practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing every day, and I can already see growth in them since August. Just today, they all presented a how-to project and taught the class how to make something in English. The speaking wasn’t perfect in many cases, and I had to jump in and help them to pronounce words, but they are improving, and the environment is supportive. We all laugh together when we make mistakes, and the students are beginning to take more risks in their learning. I think the same could be applied to any learning situation. If we encourage students to set aside their fears of making mistakes, they will try new things and grow in the process.
Since the growth mindset philosophy is working so well in my sheltered classes, I would like to implement a formal plan to help cultivate this open-mindedness in all my learners. After much research and careful consideration, I found a wonderful resource created by The Superhero Teacher. She has written a “Growth Mindset Portfolio for Teens” (The Superhero Teacher, 2016) that includes both information and interactive activities. The portfolio is extremely comprehensive and contains 65 pages including segments that connect to six categories: introduction to mindset, failure/effort & success, the keys to motivation, developing your identity, critical thinking and leadership, and assessment and reflection.
The “Introduction to Mindset” section gives the students background on the terms and philosophies behind having a growth mindset and ties in nicely with Dweck’s first recommended step in the transformation process: “Learn to hear your fixed mindset voice” (2010). Additionally, the pre-assessment helps learners to determine whether they mostly have a fixed or growth mindset, and once the student has identified the category they fall into, they dive deeper into the analysis of their thinking by sorting mindset statements and learning how their brain plays into the mindset equation. Also, neuroplasticity is emphasized as one of the key factors that can help students rationalize the adoption of a growth mindset. Last but not least, the unit is completed by the participation in an online test to determine which side of the brain the learner uses the most. This test is a nice segway into the next unit over “Failure/Effort & Success.”
The unit over “Failure and Success” contains some of my favorite parts of the growth mindset portfolio. One of those parts being a lesson over famous failures. A few of the individuals in the famous failure category are: Albert Einstein, The Beatles, Walt Disney, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs. It is interesting to read about how all of these famous people failed at some point in their lives but were able to pick themselves up and keep trying until they met with success. Once the students have learned about celebrity failure, they are next prompted to make a personal connection to a failure and analyze how they overcame it. This all-important self-analyzation essay connects the student to the next step in Dweck’s transformation process: “recognize that you have a choice” (2010). It also helps prepare them for the following unit in the booklet regarding “Motivation.”
One of the most engaging activities in the “Motivation” section is a role-playing exercise where students coach each other on perseverance in connection with a hypothetical scenario. For example, one of the cards mentions a student who is nervous to audition for a school play, and what a student should say to help coach him/her on perseverance. Real-life scenarios such as these are often the most significant to learners since they have opportunities to engage in authentic conversations with their peers, and these conversations contain dialogue which may be helpful in future educational situations. These discussions can also help to build on the third step in Dweck’s transformation process: “Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice” (2010).
Once the students have learned to have growth mindset conversations; they are ready for the last step in Dweck’s process: “Take the growth mindset action” (2010). The capstone project in the portfolio connects nicely with this step since it requires students to research a growth mindset topic and present it to the class. The research project will help students to develop a deeper understanding of their selected topic, and the results will prepare them to take action and put their knowledge to work. After all, the ultimate goal of the growth mindset plan is to help our students change the way they approach thinking and learning, so the result of the unit must be one that sets them up to implement the new-found strategies. After we give the students the tools to adopt a growth mindset, it is our job as teachers to make sure the implementation is successful and to support them as they continue to grow in their new thinking. Unfortunately, this is a change that cannot be done by one individual educator; we must get our teams, campuses, and organizations to support the new strategies to make sure the transformation continues.
To prevent the growth mindset from becoming a fad or improperly implemented, we need to ensure that our organization as a whole is on the same page, and that everyone is striving to reach the same goals. It is just like any other initiative we implement in public schools; community buy-in is key. If certain faculty members are against the philosophies behind having a growth mindset and choose to assess students differently, the benefits of a new beginning will never be realized. This is easier said than done since teachers can do whatever they want in their classrooms when administrators are out-of-sight and out-of-mind. To ensure that a proper implementation will be realized, I believe the addition of these principles in the teacher observation instrument is key. If educators are being evaluated on this new philosophy of education, they will be more likely to comply, but I believe the success of my innovation plan could help to motivate other educators to adopt this new method of teaching and learning since a growth mindset is a necessary component of implementing new strategies.
Once the students begin constructing their ePortfolios, they will have tons of new information thrown at them, and it can be difficult to absorb. The completion of the “Growth Mindset Portfolio” prior to implementing the ePortfolio initiative should give them some tools to fall back on when they find something is too difficult, and it makes them want to give up. Additionally, the role-playing conversation they practice during the book study will help to cultivate an environment of support and encouragement between fellow classmates. Finally, the growth mindset will affect me personally by giving me the strength to try new things with my classes and not be afraid to keep going if it doesn’t work out on the first try. It seems the growth mindset way of thinking is beneficial to both students and teachers alike since we are all guilty of having a fixed mindset at some point in our lives.
References
Chesebro, C. (2015, September 09). Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Fear of Failure. Retrieved from https://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/writers-quote-wednesday-fear-of-failure/
Dweck, C. (2010). MINDSET. Retrieved from http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
I can-I can't signpost with sky background [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2016, from http://editor.wix.com/html/editor/web/renderer/edit/d8c1ad84-5453-412c-b57c-3c852af4e8d1?metaSiteId=43773c15-ed69-4faf-9640-
2125be484d19&editorSessionId=D9925439-4164-4DC0-9EF2-01231C970823
Robinson, K. (2012, August 13). Being wrong [Digital image]. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from http://quotespics.com/tag/ken-robinson/
The Superhero Teacher. (1970, January 01). Teaching growth mindset in the secondary classroom. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from http://thesuperheroteacher.blogspot.com/
