The Growth Mindset Plan
The Time is Now
Carol Dweck stated that the growth mindset isn’t just about effort. Perhaps, the most common misconception is simply equating the growth mindset with effort. Certainly, effort is key to students’ achievement, but it’s not the only thing. Students need to try new strategies and seek input from others when they are stuck. They need this repertoire of approaches—not just sheer effort—to learn and improve.
The growth mindset shall impact all of my efforts towards completing the DLL program. My first assignment is a proven theory of that. Upon completion of the first assignment, I had an eerie feeling. Once I received the grade with extensive critique, improvements were a must on my behalf. Instead of feeling inadequate due to not achieving the grade I wanted, applying further effort was set into motion. This example, falls under being receptive towards constructive criticism. A fixed mindset would have simply shut down. Not being able to overcome challenges and less receptive towards criticism is all a part of a fixed mindset. Instead of being angry with everyone else, I took it as a chance to improve. As I constructed more research, the creation of Social Blocks was established. My growth mindset perceived criticism as a way to get better. I accepted the challenge to make it better. As a result, I received an “A.”
This was obtained by effort. We need to remember that effort is only half of the process. I had to figure out why. Why did I receive the grade that was unacceptable to self? What could I do and further learn to make it better? Once those questions were answered, I was able to embrace the challenge. By embracing, effort was set on a path towards mastery. By understanding the steps of the growth mindset, my focus was not jaded, it was elevated.
Carol Dweck made a good reference towards the perception of effort. We need to remember that effort is a means to an end to the goal of learning and improving. Too often nowadays, praise is given to students who are putting forth effort, but not learning, in order to make them feel good in the moment: “Great effort! You tried your best!” It’s good that the students tried, but it’s not good that they’re not learning. The growth-mindset approach helps children feel good in the short and long terms, by helping them thrive on challenges and setbacks on their way to learning. When they’re stuck, teachers can appreciate their work so far, but add: “Let’s talk about what you’ve tried, and what you can try next.”
It’s reassuring to have a teacher or professor’s praise effort and hard work, but learning has to be established as well. By making a student aware of mistakes in correlation with the opportunity for further advancement, the learning process will flourish substantially. However, being aware is one thing, but setting forth to make corrections is another. Being fixated on grades is perfectly fine, but the process is far better. Through challenges and setbacks growth has already begun. This is the reality of the growth mindset. It’s more than grades. It’s the power of the human mind and will carry on beyond grade school and college. Thriving off of challenges will become second nature, this trait is beneficial in all aspects of life. Having students encode this information will aid in their journey through school and social living.
A quote from Matthew Syed comes to mind. “The path to excellence could not be more difficult. It is steep, grueling, and arduous. It is inordinately lengthy. And, most importantly of all, it forces voyagers to stumble and fall on every single stretch of the journey.” All of us may travel this path. But doing so demands more than just expecting failure. It demands we embrace it. Excellence demands nothing less than a growth mindset.
Throughout my journey thus far I’ve experienced failures and how I dealt with those failures gave me a different outlook on life’s lessons. Realizing that I had a growth mindset, lost it to a fixed mindset, only to gain it back, makes learning this process all over again that much sweeter. At this point, furthering my research through Dweck’s books and videos is highly favorable. Now that I understand the process, working towards mastery is a daily task. Not just for self, but for my students as well. Starting them off at a young age will give them an advantage. Wishful thinking, but it would have been nice to have a teacher in grade school teach my peers and I this concept. It’s ok. I’ll be the one to introduce them to this way of thinking. As I reflect back, I’m experiencing it now and as Carol said, “not yet.” Thanks to this program “Yet” has finally revealed itself.
Now, it’s up to me to be an active participant and spread this knowledge to others and benefit from it also. One of the best ways to obtain such a fate is by embracing lessons and inspiration from others. Drawing from inspiration is like a compass rose, my chosen direction is north, moving forward with progress. Overall, I believe that success is possible through effort, strategies, and assistance from others. When you have a fixed mindset, you believe that success is only possible through innate talents; you believe that things like intelligence and personality traits are permanent and unchangeable, therefore if you fail at something, you will always fail at it because it’s fixed. We all have a bit of both mindsets in us (myself included!) in different areas of our lives. My plan is to take the growth mindset approach with no limitations, throughout this program and throughout this lifetime.
Syed, Matthew, Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://fastertomaster.com/bounce-by-matthew-syed/
Growth Mindset [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://www.llanedeyrnprimary.co.uk/index.php/growth-mindset/
Growth Mindset [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://www.big-change.org/growth-mindset/