January 16th 2015
“This is hard because I’m LEARNING”
Ready or not, I am embarking on a campaign to promote Growth Mindset within my kids’ school community, and our lives. So, welcome to the journey! Here is an introduction, and the first of many inspiring videos I have to share from the Interweb. We can do this!
Introducing… GROWTH MINDSET
Growth Mindset is the understanding that INTELLIGENCE and TALENT are not fixed qualities, but are developed through EFFORT and PERSISTENCE. Research has shown that you literally GROW (the neural pathways in) YOUR BRAIN through anything you PRACTICE. Believe it or not, when a student is praised for being naturally “smart,” he or she will eventually avoid trying difficult things that threaten that self-image, and will eventually reduce performance over time.
Instead, it’s our job to help children find ways to ENJOY CHALLENGES, and to understand that FAILURE IS PART OF LEARNING! What this means for us parents is to AVOID praising “talent” or being “smart.” Instead, ONLY give praise and recognition for EFFORT. Easier said than done? Actually, a lot of it simply comes down to what we say, such as these examples from Carol S. Dweck, the leading author on Growth Mindset:
“You did a good job drawing. I like the detail you added to the people’s faces.”
“I like the way you tried a lot of different strategies on that math problem until you finally got it.”
“That was a hard reading assignment, but you stuck with it until you got it done. You stayed at your desk and kept your concentration. That’s great!”
Here’s the first video on Growth Mindset I want to share. I hope you love it as much as I do.
You Can Learn Anything [90seconds]:
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Absolutely! We should celebrate failure as the fun part of learning.