There is a popular view among educators in regards to intelligence that students should be pushed to adopt a Growth Mindset. Mindset is the concept that everyone holds a personal “theory” of themselves, as explained by Dr. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
According to Dweck, there are two mindsets: Fixed and Growth. A Fixed Mindset is one where people feel that their basic qualities, such as talent and intelligence, are “fixed” and, therefore, unable to be improved upon.
One with a Fixed Mindset may say, “I can’t do that because I’m not good at it, or I’m dumb,” causing him/her to give up easily, ignore feedback, avoid challenges, and develop anxiety around fears.
On the other hand, a Growth Mindset allows one to believe that he/she can achieve whatever is desired by building the basic qualities that they have, through hard work and guided assistance.
Developing a Growth Mindset is crucial for both young and old, as it helps a person to embrace challenges, give 100% effort, become inspired by other people’s successes, and learn from feedback.
As educators and parents, it is our responsibility to help mold a positive Growth Mindset in our children and students. Below are some examples of how you can help your children build their Growth Mindset and assist them in creating a positive frame of mind, necessary to become successful and happy.
Below we have listed several Growth Mindset Goals for you to use with your students, children….and even yourself!
Growth Mindset Goals:
- Embrace the word “YET”: Dweck encourages all to add the word “yet” to our conversations with children. When you hear them say, “I can’t,” follow up with a “yet”. This allows our brains to understand that, although we cannot do something at this time, with hard work and patience, we very well may master the task at hand.
- Accept Mistakes: When one makes a mistake or fails at a task, applaud the effort AND use the event as a teachable moment to gain wisdom on what could have been done differently to be successful. Failure often leads children and adults to give up; teach your child that making mistakes and failures are just bumps on the road to success.
- Praise Properly: When you praise your child, do not compliment their ability or talent, but rather their effort, success, and even failure (see #2). Telling your child she is smart or talented in a specific area can limit her desire to challenge herself in another. This has the same effect in the form of negative praise. Stating, “Don’t worry, math is not your thing” or “You can quit gymnastics if you can’t do that cartwheel” have a negative impact on a child’s outlook, shaping a Fixed Mindset and causing them to believe that they do not have to try hard or challenge themselves to succeed.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Rather than dismiss a task where your child is having difficulty with a passive comment, encourage your child’s Growth Mindset by asking open-ended questions such as, “How can you change what you are doing to make it work better?”
- Rephrase your questioning: Rather than state, “I see you are having trouble with this,” you can say, “I like how you are working diligently to get the correct answer; what else can you do to solve the problem?”
