 Researched Best Practices for Student Learning Sara Overby, Coordinating Teacher for Secondary Literacy,

 I am able to implement at least 3 ideas that will help to shift the culture in my classroom towards a Growth Mindset for myself and for my students. I’m not sure what a Growth Mindset is, and/or I’m not sure what I can do about it, anyway. I have heard of a Growth Mindset and I try to talk to students about their effort. But I don’t have any concrete ideas to use. I understand the concept of Growth Mindset. I try to include actual strategies to foster effort and growth in my students. I’m seeing some progress, but I don’t really know what to do. I firmly believe in the Growth Mindset and explicitly teach students about it. I have tools in my teacher toolbox of strategies and plans that have specific connections to effort and achievement.

Questions and Hypotheses NotesDeep Idea 1Deep Idea 2

When the going gets hard, I give up and get out! When the going gets hard, I double down and create new dendrites! Image from Concepts based on Carol S. Dweck, Mindset (2008)

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“Teachers must adopt the mind-set that there’s no such thing as laziness. If a student appears lazy, there’s something else going on that we can’t see.” Rick Wormeli, “Motivating Young Adolescents” Educational Leadership (Sept. 2014).

How Do I Feel? Am I tired? Hungry? Worried about home? Do I like this class? Do I like this teacher? Do I like my classmates? Marzano and Pickering,

Can I Do This? Will I look stupid? Will I be embarrassed? Do I have the background skills? Is this “too hard”? Will I get frustrated? Marzano and Pickering, discussing-textbook.jpg

Am I Interested? Do I already have a natural interest or talent? Do I see how this connects to my own life – today, not 10 years from now? Does somebody else have a passion that makes me want to know what’s so great? Does someone make this seem fun to learn or worth my time? Do Marzano and Pickering, leader.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DO&Date= &Category=NEWS01&ArtNo= &Ref=AR &MaxW=640&Border=0&Keeping-kids-school

Marzano and Pickering, 2011 Is This Important? Does it relate to my current life? Does it relate to goals I I set for myself? Can I see how it matters in my society or community?

Questions and Hypotheses NotesDeep Idea 1Deep Idea 2

Power  Do I work towards my own goals?  Do I have a voice in my evaluation?  Do I think I’m competent?  Do I think I’m significant? Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998

Belonging  Do I know that the teacher “sees me”?  Do I feel emotionally safe here?  Do I have a valuable role in this environment?  Do my peers “hear me”? Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998

Freedom  Do I have opportunities to make choices?  Do I have opportunities to design and create?  Do I have opportunities to make my own plans?  Do I have opportunities to move around? Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998

Fun  Is this environment enjoyable (but focused)?  Is this class interactive?  Are my experiences in this class rich and relevant?  Do I regularly have “healthy challenges” in this class? Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998

Questions and Hypotheses NotesDeep Idea 1Deep Idea 2

 How does this strategy address the 4 Hidden Questions students bring with them to learnng?  How does it address the 4 Needs of All Learners?  How could a teacher adapt this for different purposes or different learning activities? The Wingman

Questions and Hypotheses NotesDeep Idea 1Deep Idea 2

“When students know there are supports in place to keep them from free-falling into failure, they’re much more likely to take risks to deepen their learning.” Robyn Jackson and Allison Zmuda, “4 (Secret) Keys to Student Engagement” Educational Leadership (Sept. 2014).

Effort and Motivation  Environment that makes it safe to take risks  Activities with built-in internal motivators  Lesson arcs that move from low-risk to increasingly higher risks emotionally and intellectually  Learning structures with authentic peer recognition  Learning structures with self-assessments of effort and achievement  Lesson plans that address the 4 Questions and 4 Needs

Collaborative Note Taking? low-risk to increasingly higher risks? authentic peer recognition? safe to take risks? internal motivators? self-assessments of effort and achievement? 4 Needs? Power? Belonging? Freedom? Fun? 4 Questions? How I feel? Can I do it? Important? Interested?

 I am able to implement at least 3 ideas that will help to shift the culture in my classroom towards a Growth Mindset for myself and for my students. I can explain concepts and concrete examples about Growth Mindset to students. I can offer several more additional ideas than I could prior to this session. I can assess a learning activity for its effect on student effort. I hold students accountable for attending to a Growth Mindsets. I can infuse additional specific strategies every day that enhance a culture of engaged effort in my classes. I now know what a Growth Mindset is. I’m not sure what I can do about it, though. I can explain Growth Mindset to my students. I plan to try to talk to students about their effort. I can give students 3 specific ideas about effort and motivation.