Revisiting Dweck

Carol Dweck introduced the concept that our beliefs about our own intelligence influence how much we learn and ultimately predict whether our intelligence will grow. The vision of her concept is accurate because belief is all we have. Having faith and belief influences our thoughts, interactions, and self-worth. Having a certain mindset can determine an individual’s success or treacherous downfall. Dweck observed that when children welcomed the challenge and saw it as an opportunity to get better, they learned a lot, made alterations and improved. Children who saw the challenge as a test of their intelligence felt threatened by anything too challenging and avoided it, thus shutting down the opportunity to grow and improve. She labeled these beliefs regarding our own intelligence as the growth mindset and the fixed mindset.

The Growth mindset is believing that intelligence is pliable and can grow based on what we do with it. The Fixed mindset is believing that our intelligence is something we are born with, we either have it or we don’t, and nothing can change that. One can see that the mindset one adopts or is raised to believe will heavily influence one’s attitude toward effort, work, learning and thus shape the person’s entire life, becoming a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

As a teacher, I intend to promote the growth mindset within my classes by first teaching the concept. Most students hardly heard of the growth mindset and the fixed mindset collectively and it’s vital for students to easily identify with the concept to aid them in their evolution as learners. It is very important for elementary students to learn this concept in their early stages of learning. This will enable them to properly learn how to overcome adversities and understand that being born with intelligence is inaccurate. Learning how to grow, foster intelligence, and sharpening of such skills will enhance the learner’s intellect. Also, looking at failure as a way of improvement rather than inadequateness will deviate learners from a fixed mindset approach.

I will introduce the concept through the RSA video, a 10-minute clip from one of Dr. Dweck’s speeches which goes over the concept briefly as well as the results of their studies. Furthermore, I will have students write in a journal entry, answering the following three questions:

1.     State if you agree or disagree with the following statement and then explain your answer: No matter who you are, you can significantly change your intelligence level. 

2.     Looking at the graphic by Nigel Holmes, which behavior do you most often engage in each of the 5 categories? 

3.     If your intelligence can be developed, and you cannot fail if you continue to try, what are some areas that you most want to grow your intelligence in this year?

After introducing the concept and having the students self-analyze and discuss their beliefs, it is something that I will reiterate every time we approach a new concept. I will have a poster or banner (depending on the design) of “YET” on my wall in Math and Science to remind them that learning is a work in progress and just because they can’t do something yet doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to soon.

To acknowledge the concept of “NOT YET,” a colleague of mine writes not yet on grades lower than a C. She is one of few on campus that understands the growth mindset process. This is a great idea because seeing letter grades less than a C often discourages students and causes depression as well. By seeing this, students will feel better about themselves psychologically. They will understand achievement of a higher grade did not happen yet, but they will get there through continuation of persistence and dedication. This will minimize stress over their grades. They have to show mastery of the skill, but if they don’t get it yet at the time of the first assessment, they can take it again later on. Having a devotion towards learning is a life-long goal I want my students to understand. If you fall, get up and try again and it’s a marathon, not a race.

Finally, I intend to praise the process, not the intelligence. Hard work is what I value, and I want them to value this concept as well. I will be liberal with my praise of the process and refrain from praising intelligence. Carol Dweck infused the concept of “Effort Creates Intelligence” and I will instill this into my students thought process and mine as well.