Growth and Fixed Mindsets
Fixed mindsets inhibit growth, educational and emotional. It is important for our children to be taught that they can grow their intelligence; that they don’t have to accept that they are as smart as they’ll ever be. They need to be told that the more they used their mind, the more it grows, the smarter they will be. There is not limit for them. This is the start of a growth mindset. Past just telling children they do have the potential to grow their mind, we need to praise them. Not just that they got the right answer, but the process used or their effort. We can praise their ability to not give up and improvement. Carol Dweck, a psychologist and researcher at Stanford University, says that she’s inspired by a test score where the student has not passed a test called “Not Yet”. Instead of “FAIL”, the student still has the opportunity to pass the test and move ahead. It gives students a chance to deal with a challenge, rather than it being a judgement of their intelligence and an ending (Dweck 2014).
Another aspect of a growth mindset is that students should be held to high expectations. We have to believe that they can achieve the goals set for them. We have to let them stumble and work through problems and questions. If we simply give them the answers, they will be taught that they do not have to try – learned helplessness. One strategy that is especially geared toward a growth mindset strategy is inquiry-based learning. The more they have to try to solve problems, the stronger they will become at developing strategies, working through solutions and discovering answers for themselves. In addition, students will find meaning and real world application for problems that are not just laid out in a typical teacher-centered classroom.
The growth mindset strategy is one that will, along with quality instruction, develop students into strong self-reliant, confident adults and employees. In addition, not only will this strategy help students who have demographics that put them at an inherent disadvantage (such a living in an inner city or a Native American reservation), but it helps all children at all abilities.
Reference
Dweck, C. (2014, November). Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing that You Can Improve [Video file]. Retrieved from TED Talks website: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve/transcript?language=en#t-90180
