1. Growth Mindset: Persisting in the Face of Challenges
LEARNING MINDSETS SESSION 2
Growth Mindset: Persisting in the Face of Challenges

2. “Adolescents often see school as a place where they perform for teachers who then judge them. The growth mind-set changes that perspective and makes school a place where students vigorously engage in learning for their own benefit.”
CAROL S. DWECK
The Perils and Promise of Praise (2007)

3. Objectives:
Understand the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset.
Explore practical ways to support student to cultivate a growth mindset.

4. Take Growth Mindset Survey
Go to (or use the hardcopy handout) and answer the questions.
This is NOT a test! It is an opinion survey asking you for your thoughts and opinions about learning and intelligence.
There are no right or wrong answers—different people have different ideas about all of these things.
Your answers will be ed to you immediately after taking the survey, but not shared with anyone else.
Please answer as honestly and accurately as possible.
15 minutes
Have participants take the quiz independently as they enter. Phone, tablet or laptop will work. They will receive a personalized with their results (so they should enter the they want results sent to) and results will be kept anonymous by Eskolta. Link:
Read aloud the above descriptions of fixed and growth mindsets. 1

5. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset:
Fixed: Right now, you believe that your intelligence is fixed—that it doesn’t change much. On the whole, if you can’t perform something perfectly, you would rather not do it. You probably think that smart people don’t have to work hard to succeed.
Growth: You know that you can increase your intelligence by learning, and you like a challenge. You believe that the best way to learn is to work hard, and you don’t mind making mistakes while you do it.
15 minutes
Have participants take the quiz independently as they enter. Phone, tablet or laptop will work. They will receive a personalized with their results (so they should enter the they want results sent to) and results will be kept anonymous by Eskolta. Link:
Read aloud the above descriptions of fixed and growth mindsets.
Prepared by Eskolta School Research and Design, Inc.

6. Discuss Insights from Survey:
Look at your for your mindset results or score the handout.
Which of the questions in the survey surprised you?
What questions about growth versus fixed mindset emerged for you? 2

7. Research on Growth Mindset:
As you think about the research behind this concept, note ideas that resonate and questions that surface for you. 3

8. Discuss Impact: What is one thing that you found new or surprising?
What is one thing that resonated with your own practice in your classroom?
What impact might a mindset shift have for your own students? 4

9. Analyze Growth Mindset Prompts
Review the sample Growth Mindset Feedback and Framing Prompts from Mindset Works. ✔️
Check phrases you’ve used before Star phrases you’ve used a lot Circle phrases you’d like to use more
5 minutes
Have participants review the handouts with Growth Mindset Feedback and Framing Prompt (in folder) and follow the directions above.
Extra time? Have them share what they circled with a partner.
DRAFT - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION
Prepared by Eskolta School Research and Design, Inc.

10. Transform Fixed to Growth:
In groups, review the graphic organizer in the Transforming Fixed to Growth Protocol.
Identify four fixed/mixed mindset phrases.
For each phrase, discuss the underlying attitude behind this fixed/mixed mindset statement.
Then brainstorm growth-oriented alternatives. 5

11. Transform Fixed to Growth:
Fixed/Mixed Mindset
Phrase
What is the underlying attitude behind this fixed/mixed statement?
What is a Growth Mindset alternative?
Example: “Oh, you got that right away. You must be good at that."
One must get something right away in order to be considered good at it. Some people are intrinsically good at things and thus “get” them right away.
“Great, you’re really using some good strategies. Let’s try something more challenging next time.”
Example: “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get it next time.”
It’s okay to give up once you have encountered a challenge. Also, this implies that getting something is a matter of luck, ignoring that effort and strategies contribute to success.
“That feeling of (X) being hard is the feeling of your brain growing.” 5

12. Discuss: What did you learn from this exercise?
Were there any phrases you have noticed yourself saying (either recently or in the past)?
Which phrases were tough to transform? 6

13. Learning Wrap-Up Reflect on what you learned today.
How do your takeaways compare to the session’s Learning Objectives? How were these objectives addressed today?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Understand the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset.
Explore practical ways to support student to cultivate a growth mindset. 7

14. What’s next?
Learn more about the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset
Learn more about the importance of growth mindset for student learning
Learn about how schools have implemented instructional practices that support the development of students’ growth mindset.
Learn about ways to create learning environments that allow students to practice taking risks and activating their growth mindset.
Explore strategies to promote value for learning in the classroom.
Explore strategies to promote a sense of belonging in the classroom. 8