Encouraging Growth Mindset Coaches’ Workshop May 1, 2015

WHERE ARE YOU ON THE MINDSET CONTINUUM? Take the Mindset Quiz individually Examine your results Use the scoring sheet to determine your total number of points See the “Results” section to determine where you might be on the growth-fixed mindset continuum

WHAT IS A GROWTH MINDSET? A belief that people can change their intelligence or ability through hard work, practice, effort and using the right strategies Intelligence, talent, ability can go up (or down)

WHAT IS A FIXED MINDSET? A belief that people are born with a certain amount of intelligence or ability that cannot be changed

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SHOW? 1. Mindset (growth or fixed) can influence and even predict future achievement. 2. Students can learn to embrace a growth mindset through instruction. 3. Messages from adults about ability and effort can have a strong influence on student attitudes and achievement.

MINDSET VIDEO Messages from adults about ability and effort can have a strong influence on student attitudes and achievement The Impact of Praise

GROWTH MINDSET Having a growth mindset can lead to: Persisting Viewing effort as worthwhile Welcoming challenges Using the feedback that is given Finding inspiration from others’ success

FIXED MINDSET Having a fixed mindset can lead to: Avoiding anything that may be a challenge Giving up when something is not “easy” An inability to see effort as fruitful Viewing feedback as a personal affront Feeling that others’ success means personal failure

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SHOW? 1. Mindset (growth or fixed) can influence and even predict future achievement. 2. Students can learn to embrace a growth mindset through instruction. 3. Messages from adults about ability and effort can have a strong influence on student attitudes and achievement.

MESSAGES FROM ADULTS AND OTHER SOURCES This is somewhat cultural in nature Our culture in US seems to promote the “fixed” mindset more often than “growth” mindset Some other cultures seem to promote the “growth” mindset more often than the “fixed” mindset “Mindsets are transmitted through the praise that adults (parents, teachers, adults) give to kids” “Praising children’s abilities backfires; it harms them; it does not create growth in young minds” -Carol Dweck

Ability praise… Ability PraiseMessage Heard You learned that so quickly. You are so smart. If I don’t learn something quickly, I’m not smart. Look at that drawing. Martha, is he the next Picasso or what? I shouldn’t try drawing anything hard or they’ll see I’m no Picasso. You’re so brilliant, you got an A without even studying! I’d better quit studying or they won’t think I’m brilliant. - Carol Dweck, Mindset

TIPS FOR GIVING GREAT FEEDBACK Say what you see, not how you feel. Don’t say “I love it when you line up so nicely.” Instead say, “You lined up quickly and quietly today, so now we’ll have more time in the library.” Avoid naming some students as examples for others. Can lead to resentment of the student named. Save those comments for private conversations. Instead say “I bet you can all write neatly today. What might help you do that?” Name only behaviors that have actually occurred. Don’t say “I see children sitting quietly” if they really aren’t Don’t praise effort if they didn’t really work hard.

TRANSITIONING FROM FIXED TO GROWTH MINDSET When hearing students saying things that convey a fixed mindset, you can add “yet” to it and attempt to change their mindset. “I am not good at this…..yet” “I can’t do this….yet” Ask questions about their work in a way that admires and appreciates their efforts and choices and gets them to reflect on the satisfaction they feel from working hard What did you learn today? What mistake did you make that taught you something? What did you try hard at today? Discuss your own and one another’s efforts, strategies, setback, and learning -Carol Dweck

WHERE ARE YOU ON THE MINDSET CONTINUUM? What experiences helped to shape your mindset? What are some things you were told that impacted your mindset growing up? How do you think your fixed or growth mindset affected you as a student? Would having a different kind of mindset have impacted your learning? If so, how? Why?

Mindset Resources Resources for “Growing Your Mind” on the subject of Mindset…

BOOKS TO CONSIDER READING