Cultivating a Growth Mindset for Personal and Professional Success It’s All in Your Mind Cultivating a Growth Mindset for Personal and Professional Success Jil M. Freeman jil.freeman@clackamas.edu @TeachLearnCCC

Goals of Today’s Session By the end of this session, you should be able to: Identify how we get RRGA something Articulate the (in basic terms) the brain science behind Growth Mindset Explain the basic elements of a Growth Mindset Explain the benefits of a Growth Mindset Explore key strategies that support a Growth Mindset Bring back a little GM spirit (and some go-to strategies) to your work and life!

What’s one thing you are Really, Really Good At? How’d you get to be Really, Really Good At that one thing?

Exploring our RRGAs Introduce yourself to 2-3 other people and share the one thing you are Really, Really Good At Share how you got to be Really, Really Good At your one thing (be specific in talking about what you did) What key themes did you hear amongst the RGGAs?

Getting RRGA driving a cab in London https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBge0bX2Ng

Your brain… it can grow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g

“Cells that fire together, wire together” Neuroplasticity “Cells that fire together, wire together” This means that the things you do, experience, feel, and think over and over again become part of your brain “highway map” or neurological pathways … this works in both positive and negative forms. There does not appear to be any age limit to building new neurons and neurological pathways. Stimulation is the key.

So, back to the RRGAs... How did you get REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT your thing? You strengthened and built new neurological pathways. You may not have realized it, but you believed it was possible to Grow Your Brain (psst…. way to master the first step to developing a Growth Mindset!)

What story are you telling yourself? Look at your professional challenge. What stories have built the neurological pathway of your challenge? What stories would be more helpful to rebuild your neurological pathway? (To get the right cells to fire together and wire together?) In 10 words or less, what do you need to believe to overcome your professional challenge?

What is a Growth Mindset? Dr. Carol Dweck, Stanford psychologist specializing in motivation and learning What makes some people continue to try in the face of difficulty? What makes people succeed? Neuroscience and neurobiological research

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75GFzikmRY0

Growth Mindset Key Points Intelligence is not fixed; it can be developed Struggle grows your brain The brain is malleable Success comes from Effort Strategies Seeking help Resources Mindsets exist on a spectrum Multiple Mindsets exist in all of us

Benefits of a Growth Mindset in Life Increased self insight and self esteem Happier and more fulfilled in their relationships Greater levels of enjoyment and happiness in life Lower risk of depression and anxiety Lower levels of self-imposed stress Learning, growing, developing new skills More realistic sense of self Less likely to have sense of superiority Less “paralysis by perfectionism” Improved happiness and satisfaction from https://alexvermeer.com and https://mindsetmax.com

Benefits of a Growth Mindset in Learning Mindset predicts motivation & achievement GM training boosts motivation & achievement Narrows gender & racial achievement gaps Neutralizes stereotype threat Improves resilience, behavior & achievement Essential to “positive persistence” Embrace challenges Lower dropout rates Improved student performance and success Improved happiness and satisfaction from www.mindsetworks.com and www.carnegiefoundation.org

Gender, Race, Class & the Growth Mindset Women and girls are more likely to have a FIXED MINDSET People of color are more likely to have a FIXED MINDSET (Dweck & Simmons, 2014) WHY? Rewards and Praise (Girls for Being, Boys for Doing) Pressure of Perfectionism (beauty standards, compliance, “good girls”), so criticism feels very real and personal Systematic oppression, lack of access and representation construct (false) realities and cultural expectations of who is good at what/who belongs where Limited choices and opportunities make failure high stakes Discipline disparities make failure high stakes

Strategies to Cultivate A Growth Mindset Name it & Explain it Praise the Process, not the Person Language & Framing Celebrate Mistakes & Struggle (yours & theirs) Provide Resources & Encourage Help-Seeking Check and call out biases (social, identity and ability)

What strategy are you going to try? For students: What specific things can you do in your work to help students build a Growth Mindset? Name it & Explain it Praise the Process, not the Person Language & Framing Celebrate Mistakes & Struggle (yours & theirs) Provide Resources & Encourage Help-Seeking Check and call out biases (social, identity and ability) (look at you… step two of developing a growth mindset… check!)

What can you do? Spread the Growth Mindset gospel Consider Growth Mindset in organizational processes & practices Support Growth Mindset professional development Practice a Growth Mindset strategy in your own work Talk to students about Growth Mindset Belief → Action → Growth → Belief → Action → Growth