"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein
GROWTH MINDSET
Growth Mindset is a guiding principle at Mill Pond and a strong theme in school counseling in all grades. It builds learning resilience!
Growth Mindset refers to the belief that one's intelligence can be developed or "grown" with learning, work and perseverance. Brain-based research has shown that intelligence is neither static nor determined at birth! Rather, the brain is malleable, an ability called "neuroplasticity." We share with students that taking on challenges may feel a bit uncomfortable or create tension in the process of learning, but that these are expected feelings when we grapple with new things, and that those challenges develop our brains. Mistakes are learning opportunities to be embraced, not avoided, if we stop to think about our mistakes and discover new methods, ideas or inspirations along the way. Mistakes grow our intelligence!
You may hear your student restate "I can't do this" as "I can't do this yet." "Yet" language helps students remember that learning is a process, and the encouraging way we talk to ourselves helps us to keep trying, to use different strategies to bolster our perseverance through challenges, and to not give up. This is Growth Mindset self-talk! We are each our own, positive "inner coach."
Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University, and world-renowned proponent of Growth Mindset, advises that if you want to give your children a gift, the best thing you can do is to "teach your children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning."
For a brief introduction to “Growth Mindset,” you may want to read the following article: http://afineparent.com/mindset/growth-mindset-introduction.html. Another resource is the four minute video entitled www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsP43BqinQY.“Fostering Growth Mindsets” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsP43BqinQY.
"Children do not get better if they are not uncomfortable."
“I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison
Growth Mindset Praise! Saying "you are so smart" to our children may feel like a compliment, but we are inadvertently teaching them that intelligence is a fixed quality to be arrived at, and we know differently. Try shifting your praise to comments such as these to teach your child to focus on the value of effort and growing one's intelligence! Remember, there is normal "tension" in the process of learning something new. Stick with it. That builds resilience and a stronger ability to take on challenges as they come along! |
"Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children." Charles Swindoll
