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Growth Mindset Plan

Building a Robot

Importance of A Growth Mindset

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Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset research burst on the education scene less than 20 years ago, and it has been a hot topic ever since. A quick search of the university library database revealed over 4,000 academic journals, magazine articles, and dissertations discussing the topic. Growth Mindset research is not just for academia; on the graphic design website Canva, there are over 180 templates ranging from posters to worksheets for K 12 teachers. We see the influences of a growth mindset in pop culture:

 

“I love coaching. Now, I'm gonna say this again just so you didn't think it was a mistake the first time I said it. For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It's about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field. And it ain't always easy, Trent, but neither is growing up without someone believing in you.”  Quote from Ted Lasso (Lawerence & Marshall, 2020)

 

What is a growth mindset? According to Dweck: “In a growth mindset, people believe their basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and resilience essential for great accomplishment.” (Dweck, 2015) Learners with a growth mindset confront mistakes, process errors, learn from their mistakes and try to correct them (TEDx Talks, 2014).

 

Most of us struggle with a fixed mind.”In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.” (Dweck, 2015)

 

Growth Mindset and Socioeconomic Status

Studies by Brandišauskienė have shown that students of higher socioeconomic status (SES) tended to have a higher growth mindset and were more likely to have greater confidence, the ability to cope with failure, and more likely to thrive during a difficult time. On the other hand, low socioeconomic status (low SES) students have used a fixed mindset to ‘buffer the negative effect of poverty on achievement”. Evidence from the study also showed that growth mindset interventions in conjunction with positive teacher support have an enormous impact on low SES students. (Brandišauskienė, A., 2021).

 

I teach at a junior high in an affluent area that is experiencing a rapid shift in the socioeconomic status of our student population, particularly an increase in students of low SES. In addition to implementing a Growth Mindset Plan, I must take extra care in cultivating positive student relationships to counteract the fixed mindset survival mechanism in low SES students. 

 

Growth Mindset and Leadership 

As part of my Student Technology Teams Innovation Plan, I aim to increase student confidence and help them become leaders for change in the school. Becoming a leader begins with understanding who you are and what you care about. It requires students to look within themselves to become more productive and to have a more significant impact (Bowman, 2013)

 

When teenagers were asked to define leadership, they stated that leadership is not simply a position. The students defined leadership as a process rather than an outcome (Mims, 2020). The steps outlined in the growth mindset outline below will guide students through the inner journey of understanding themselves as they become leaders. 

 

Believe in the Power of Yet

The most common deterrent to a growth mindset is ineffective praise. Praising a student's talent or being smart sets the student up to fear making mistakes because smart kids do not make mistakes. If they are not smart, then in their minds, they, therefore, must be dumb. They resist making an effort because if a student has talent, then success should come quickly. Students eventually become unwilling to take risks because of the possibility of making a mistake and being seen as a fraud, and all the praise they have received would be a lie. 

 

As teachers, we need to promote a growth mindset by reinforcing the concept of “yet.” Research has shown that this three-letter word has the power to give students confidence and the ability to preserve through life’s challenges. We should praise kids for their effort, strategies, focus, perseverance, and improvement (TEDx Talks, 2014).

 

Growth Mindset Plan Outline 

1. Shortly after reading Scott Jeffrey's article, “ A Complete Guide to Changing Your Fixed Mindset into a Growth Mindset,” I came across Smart is My Choice!: A Growth Mindset Series for Middle School from Mineola Grows. This series of instructional videos do an excellent job of presenting the concepts of a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and how to move towards a growth mindset in an entertaining way for junior high students.

 

Lesson 1: Recognizing Mistakes Can Rewire Your Brain

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Lesson 2: Growth and Fixed Mindset

  • Watch Growth and Fixed Mindset: Middle School 2 video

  • Give students a chart about the four ingredients to growth, and students draw the icons that represent the difference between a fixed vs. growth mindset in these areas. Challenges (Mountain vs. Steps), Effort (Not Good Enough vs. Not Good Enough Yet), Mistakes (Failure vs. “Second Flash - time to get Smarter), Feedback (Hates Feedback vs. Feedback is guidance)

 

Lesson 3: Name That Voice

 

Lesson 4: Make The Choice To Get Smarter

  • Watch Choosing to Get Smarter: Middle School Lesson 4 video

  • Have students think about one area they have had a growth mindset. What actions can they take to get smarter? Reminders for an action plan: Be proud, a growth mindset is a choice, be curious-seek the second flash, put in the adequate effort, seek productive struggle (not too easy, not too hard) 

 

Lesson 5: The Secrets To Resilience

 

2. Once a week, have a growth mindset warm-up that reinforces the concepts from the Mineola Grows lessons for students. Allow students time to record their thoughts and progress onto a running record document in Google Drive to see their growth over time.

 

3. Find ways to strengthen the relationship with all students, especially low socioeconomic students.

 

4. Discuss and model how to follow the SMART method when writing goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based. (Prieur, n.d.)

 

5. Instead of just using fixed mindset words like “can’t” and “don’t,” promote a growth mindset by encouraging students to add “yet” to the end of sentences. (Prieur, n.d.)

 

Personal Influence and Impact

Since the COVID pandemic, we have seen a dramatic rise in anxiety and depression in students. Students have developed learned helplessness and laziness concerning school. I have had several students require withdrawal from school to work on their mental health or inpatient treatment. Implementing a Growth Mindset Intervention Plan will help students understand they are a work in progress and have the power of “yet”; they can “grow smarter” and physically wire their brains. 

 

I already see the impact of the growth mindset in my relationships with students.  During a parent-teacher conference last week, I found myself telling a student that struggling was a gift and that the current struggles he was tackling would make him a more decisive leader tomorrow. Seeing how happy he was when he thought about how much he had grown and how much more he could grow in the future was fantastic. 

 

My ultimate goal for completing the Applied Digital Learning program is to become a District Instructional Technology Coach. Studying the growth mindset will help me become a better leader and a more empathetic coach.

 

 

 

References:

 

Bowman, R. F. (2013). Learning leadership skills in middle school. The Clearing House, 86(2), pp. 59–63. http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.lamar.edu/stable/43999318

 

Brandišauskienė, A., Bukšnytė-Marmienė, L., Česnavičienė, J., Daugirdienė, A., Kemerytė-Ivanauskienė, E., & Nedzinskaitė-Mačiūnienė, R. (2021). Connection between teacher support and student’s achievement: Could growth mindset be the moderator? https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.3390/su132413632

 

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset. Ballantine Books.

 

Dweck, C. S. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the 'growth mindset.' Education Week. Retrieved from: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html?cmp=cpc-goog-ew-growth+mindset&ccid=growth+mindset&ccag=growth+mindset&cckw=%2Bgrowth%20%2Bmindset&cccv=content+ad&gclid=Cj0KEQiAnvfDBRCXrabLl6-6t-0BEiQAW4SRUM7nekFnoTxc675qBMSJycFgwERohguZWVmNDcSUg5gaAk3I8P8HAQ.

 

 

Jeffrey S. (2020, June 23). Change your fixed mindset into a growth mindset [Complete Guide]. Scott Jeffrey. https://scottjeffrey.com/change-your-fixed-mindset/

 

Lawrence, B., Sudeikis, J., Hunt, B., (Writers), & Marshall, T. (Director). (2020, August 14).  Trent Crimm: The Independent(Season 1, Episode 3) [Television series episode]. Lawrence, B., Sudeikis, J., Hunt, B., Kelly, J.,  Ingold, J., Wrubel, B., (present). Ted lasso [TV series]. Ruby's Tuna Inc.; Doozer; Universal Television; Warner Bros. Television Studios; Apple TV+. Quote from https://lassoism.com/Ted-Lasso-quote.php?id=65

 

Mims, L. C., & Kaler-Jones, C. (2020). Running, running the show: Supporting the leadership development of black girls in middle school. Grantee Submission, Middle School Journal, 51(2), 16–24. https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1080/00940771.2019.1707342

 

Mineola Grow!. (2022, March 22). Recognizing mistakes improves our brain! | Middle school lesson 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blwujFXq-HI

 

Mineola Grow!. (2022, March 22). Growth and fixed mindset: Middle school lesson 2 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6xw6Yv8i7g&t=84s

 

Mineola Grow!. (2022, June 27). Growth voice vs. fixed voice: Middle school lesson 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUEbLRRTYcs&t=102s

 

Mineola Grow!. (2022, June 27). Choosing to get smarter: Middle school lesson 4 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbe7YCNTEHs

 

Mineola Grow!. (2022, June 27). The 5 strategies for resilience: Middle school lesson 5 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNqTL-cpVBM

 

Prieur, J. (n.d). 10 ways teachers can instill a growth mindset in students. Prodigy. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/growth-mindset-in-students/

 

TEDx Talks. (2014, September 12). The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic

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