# data[].attributes.body
Love the Power of Yet!
Failing is ok.
Model and demonstrate your own

# data[].attributes.body
Ideas on how to have a "Grit" culture in your classroom
-Read Books involving grit
-Watch Videos as a class
-Discuss examples
-Promote grit character in the classroom
"Time to Grit and a Time to Quit"

# data[].attributes.body
It is difficult for students to have a growth mindset if teachers and parents don't.

Students are able to buy into the growth mindset if they see the relevance of what they are learning.

# data[].attributes.body
-immediate feedback is most significant
-be as specific as possible
-compete against personal best, not against others
-provide feedback as soon as possible
-involve students in the feedback process - ask them to contribute their own perspective of how they did
-be descriptive in exactly what was done well
-feedback should guide students to the next step
-be careful HOW you present feedback - students can be sensitive, think of the student as an individual
-giving feedback provides awareness of their learning

# data[].attributes.body
-research shows that grit is more important than IQ
-to teach grit, we need to model grit in our classrooms and lives.  This is shown through our work ethic.
-Grit is develop through your own life experiences.
-There's a time for grit and a time to quit.

# data[].attributes.body
-Yet vs. Can't
-Mistakes are okay!
-Good things take time
-Learning is a process

# data[].attributes.headline
4. If learners feel that they are being too closely monitored, they might become nervous or self-conscious, and as a result, disengaged from learning.

# data[].attributes.subject
4. If learners feel that they are being too closely monitored, they might become nervous or self-conscious, and as a result, disengaged from learning.

# data[].attributes.body
Power of YET!
Show our own mindset and model
Let kids fail

# data[].attributes.body
-- avoid praising intelligence
-- differentiate instruction/student choice
-- "game-ify" your assessment
-- embrace challenges
-- expand answers/develop thoughts
-- abstract to real-world connection
-- journaling/exit tickets/SMART
-- use "YET"
-- change student language from fixed to growth
-- create folders/portfolios for successes

# data[].attributes.body
H

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Deeper learning requires students to think, question, pursue, and create-to take agency and ownership of their learning. When they do, they acquire deeper understanding and skills, and most important, they become more competent learners in and out of school. They become better prepared to succeed in academics, but also in 21st century careers and in life.

We can't force students to develop agency and drive their own learning. It must come from within. Deeper learning instructional practices, such as using student-centered and self-directed learning methods, encouraging collaboration, and incorporating real-world projects, interviews, case studies and explorations, result in prolific learning when students are ready to drive their own learning. But using these practices is not always sufficient for students to truly take the reins. So what else do they need in order to get in the driver's seat, take agency, and dive deep? And how do we help them do so?

Hierarchy of Learner Needs
A large body of research in psychology and education, focused on areas such as motivation, mindset, college & career readiness, grit,

non-cognitive factors, and 21st century competencies, is uncovering the critical elements needed for students to drive their own learning. It points to two essential focus areas that hold the most promise: Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits, highlighted in Figure 1 and discussed in the sections that follow.

Before diving in, let's acknowledge that just like any other human being, students need to meet their physiological needs such as food, safety (physical and emotional), and connection with others. The vast majority of children in the U.S. meet enough of their physiological needs that these are not a material hindrance on learning. For those who don't, we have a responsibility to provide these needs, at least while they're at school. We can feed students, foster a safe and bully-free environment, and cultivate a learning community in which all children value learning, feel acknowledged and are accepted.

Essential Opportunity #1: The Four Learning Mindsets
Aside from physiological needs, students' motivations and efforts are driven by their mindsets-a set of key beliefs they hold. The greatest untapped opportunity to improve learning in our schools is to deliberately work on developing the four Learning Mindsets that stand out in the research as deeply influencing student behavior, outcomes, and overall drive to learn, as documented by the University of Chicago CCSR's literature review Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners(Farrington, et al., 2012):

Mindset #1: A Growth Mindset: "I can change my intelligence and abilities through effort." Among these beliefs, the most foundational and critical for us to focus on is the growth mindset, first identified and studied by Stanford professor Carol Dweck, Ph.D. Students with a growth mindset realize that their abilities to think and do are a result of their past behaviors. They see effort as what makes people smart, they are motivated to focus on continued growth, and they persist in the face of setbacks. On the other hand, when students see intelligence or abilities as fixed, they see effort as something only incapable people need, they shy away from challenge, and they disengage when things get hard (Mueller & Dweck, 1998).

A growth mindset can be learned. When we teach a growth mindset, students work harder because they want to do so, they use more effective strategies, and they reach higher levels of achievement (Blackwell, et. al., 2007). While this benefits all students, it also breaks down negative stereotypes and thereby contributes to closing the achievement gap (Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht, 2003).

The growth mindset is the most powerful lever to improve learning because it is the driver of student behavior that we're least aware of and least deliberate about building, and because it has the greatest impact on student behaviors required both to learn knowledge and skills and to build the other critical Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits that improve students' ability to grow.

Mindset #2: Self-Efficacy: "I can succeed." Related to the growth mindset is the belief that one can succeed (Bandura, 1986). Students must believe that they can achieve their goals, however they define those goals. If students think they need help or resources, they must see a path they can take in order to obtain the required help or resources. The stronger their growth mindset, the more students will seek ways to overcome adversities and search for alternate strategies to achieve their goals.

Mindset #3: Sense of Belonging: "I belong in this learning community." When students feel they belong to a learning community, they become engaged in learning (Harvey & Schroder, 1963; Oyserman, Bybee, & Terry, 2006). When they feel they belong to a community of peers that values going beyond one's comfort zone and learning about the world, students connect learning activities and objectives with social rewards they value.

Mindset #4: Relevance: "This work has value and purpose for me." As many deeper learning educators know, students engage in learning much more energetically and deeply when they value the knowledge and skills that they're working to acquire, or find them relevant or interesting (Eccles et al., 1983). That leads them to think deeply, question, pursue, and put their full selves into their work. Project-based learning and real-world connections are ways to foster relevance and help students explore passions, goals, and applications of learning. We can also have students reflect on and write about the relevance of their work, or about a learning experience they're about to embark on.

Essential Opportunity #2: Learning Strategies & Habits
Students with Learning Mindsets are energized, seek challenges and hold high expectations for themselves. But if they don't know what to do in order to meet those ambitious goals, they may develop a sense of helplessness. Or if they have misconceptions about what strategies are effective, they may try, fail, try again, fail again, and eventually question the Learning Mindsets. For example, if a student has the false impression that putting in effort is simply about the amount of time one spends on a task and not about deliberate practice, she may not achieve the progress she expects, which in turn may lead her to conclude that her abilities are fixed.

We have the opportunity to teach not only knowledge and skills, but also the self-management and learning-to-learn skills needed in school and life (as well as the Learning Mindsets). We may think that students implicitly learn these skills as they do their work, but without explicit instruction and reflection, this understanding is not as solidly consolidated in the mind and understood (Schwartz, 1998). Research shows that we need experiences to deeply understand knowledge, but we also need explicit discussion and reflection to truly make sense of our experiences and apply our new understanding in different contexts.

We must teach kids how to learn. We must teach them know-how such as:

how the brain works and how we can increase its capabilities,

how to manage our learning, including how to set learning goals, self-assess, approach new subjects, manage homework, dive deeper, learn from mistakes and know what to do when things get hard,

how to engage in deliberate practice to develop expertise,

how to foster innovation and creativity,

how to work in teams,

how to manage emotions,

how to develop willpower,

how to develop desirable habits through cues, routines and rewards, and

how to combine habits with tools to manage one's self and one's learning.

Learning Strategies & Habits include a host of self-management and learning-to-learn approaches and behaviors. Some strategies are more universal while others work better for different people or in different situations, but we must teach students how they can better manage themselves, approach learning and pursue their goals. These skills should be part of a basic educational foundation for all children.

The Role of Instruction
The Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits enable students to seek and dive into learning opportunities. Of course, students also need quality instruction, guidance and learning activities. Learners need someone or something guiding them toward their zone of proximal development and pointing them to resources and experiences that will enable them to maximize personal growth.

Deeper learning instructional practices are powerful, especially when our goal is to develop critical thinking and performance skills required by the Common Core and 21st century life. However, we must recognize that instructional practices, while critical, are not enough, at least as traditionally defined (that is, when not encompassing instruction on mindsets and learning strategies). Learning mindsets, strategies and subject matter instruction are layers that we need to work on largely concurrently, not just one after the other. They reinforce one another and learning on all three layers is ongoing.

The transition to the Common Core appropriately demands more of students to better prepare them for success. In order to succeed in that transition we must also shift the learners' mind from passive detachment to active engagement and challenge-seeking. We need to develop in students the mindsets, strategies, and habits that cultivate student agency so that students can thrive not only in school but beyond. As we rethink teaching and learning in our transition to Common Core instruction, let's take the opportunity to also incorporate student agency practices.

Realizing Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits in Schools
This work can happen in today's schools. At Mindset Works we serve hundreds of schools that are increasing student agency and achievement through deliberate focus on Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits.

Here's how they do it:

Start with the adults: Research shows that students' mindsets are heavily influenced by the interactions they have with people around them. For example, studies show that when we praise kids for being smart when they perform well, we inadvertently put them in a fixed mindset. They start focusing on trying to look smart, avoid challenge, see effort as a sign of weakness, and fall apart when things get hard (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). Psychology research clearly shows that language that praises students' intelligence or abilities backfires and leads to students' self-doubt and avoidance of challenge.

In order to create school and community environments in which students value effort and growth, we must educate teachers and parents on relevant research, work to foster a growth mindset in adults, and align around school practices that create and deepen student agency, including ensuring adults serve as role model lifelong learners. Expanding this alignment to include parents is also helpful. Whether schools use resources from organizations like Mindset Works to guide this alignment or develop their own, this explicit work on school culture and practices is an important foundation.

Explicitly cultivate students' Mindsets and Learning Strategies: Just like anything else we teach students, we must explicitly teach Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits for students to take on the beliefs and incorporate strategies into daily living. It is helpful to teach students how their brains work and how to strengthen them, as well as effective learning strategies, tools and habits that best enable them to manage themselves. This is best done as a whole school effort so that one result of this explicit instruction is common understanding and language that all students, educators and parents in a school share, so that everyone can refer to that common understanding in everyday teaching and learning. Doing this work not only shifts students' mindsets but also teachers' mindsets. Our blended learning program, Brainology®, is one way hundreds of schools accomplish this. This work is possible today.

Embed strategies in everyday teaching & learning: Once teachers, students, and families share common foundational beliefs and practices, the work continues to embed practices that foster student agency in everyday life. Teachers continue to work on language, instructional practices, and their own beliefs, while students work on their mindsets, learning strategies and habits. This does not take additional time. It is about the way we do our daily work, interact with one another and manage ourselves, and it leads to deep beliefs and habits that drive all of students' behaviors.

For example, teachers can explicitly frame lessons or projects as opportunities to work on what we don't know and go beyond our comfort zone to build capabilities. We can make better use of student mistakes and confusion as opportunities to learn, clarify and study the learning process. We can give feedback to students focused on their behavior, their choices, their strategies, rather than on being smart or talented. We can teach performance skills, such as those in common core standards, using content that furthers Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits, such as info texts on how people who struggled reached success, or on scientific research about what makes for effective self-management and learning, or about the relevance of our school work to our communities and life. We can have students chart their growth so they can view their improvement over time, and we can have them build growth mindset portfolios exemplifying times in which they took risks and achieved doing something they couldn't do before. We can encourage student goal-setting and reflection on what is working and not working in their learning strategies. And we can serve as role models so students can see that everyone in our community is a lifelong learner, seeks feedback and takes on opportunities to grow.

Transition to student independence: Once we develop these mindsets, strategies, and habits, we also need to help students own them after they graduate. We can help them transition habits from being driven by teachers and the school environment to being self-driven. Older students can mentor younger students around mindsets and learning strategies, and we can gradually remove the school-dependent cues so that students develop self-driven cues needed to maintain effective habits after they graduate.

We Can Do It
How can we best prepare students for a world that will require more of them? The most important resource in education reform is the learner's mind. We need to re-ignite the hunger for learning that many students lose along the way. Explicit and embedded work on Learning Mindsets and Learning Strategies & Habits puts students in the driver seat of learning and gives them direction and tenacity to chart their paths to success.

References and Resources
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Blackwell, L.S., Trzesniewski, K.H., & Dweck, C.S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78. 246-263, Study 1.)

Dweck. C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House.

Eccles J.S., Adler, T.F., Futterman, R., Goff, S.B., Kaczala, C.M., Meece, J.L., and Midgley, C. (1983). Expectancies, values, and academic behaviors. In J.T. Spence (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motivation (pp. 75-146). San Francisco: W.H. Freeman.

Farrington, C.A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.S., Johnson, D.W., & Beechum, N.O. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become learners. The role of noncognitive factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. Chicago: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research.

Good, C., Aronson, J., & Inzlicht, M. (2003). Improving adolescents' standardized test performance: An intervention to reduce the effects of stereotype threat. Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 645-662.

Harvey, O.J., and Schroder, H.M. (1963). Cognitive aspects of self and motivation. In O. J. Harvey (Ed.), Motivation and social interaction-cognitive determinants. (pp. 95-133). New York: Ronald Press.

Mueller, C. M. & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Intelligence praise can undermine motivation and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 33-52. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.75.1.33.

Pellegrino, James W. & Hilton, Margaret L., Editors. National Research Council. (2012). Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Oyserman, D., Bybee, D., and Terry, K. (2006). Possible selves and academic outcomes: How and when possible selves impel action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 188-204.

Schwartz, D. L. & Bransford, J. D. (1998). A time for telling. Cognition & Instruction, 16, 475-522.

About the Author

Eduardo is the CEO of Mindset Works, which he co-founded with Carol Dweck, Lisa Blackwell and others, to help schools cultivate student ownership of their own learning. With his fellow mindsetters, Eduardo helps schools build learner capacity and success through practices that instill growth mindset beliefs and foundational learning skills in students, teachers and the broader community. Eduardo has spoken at numerous industry conferences, delivered a popular TEDx Talk on mindset, and has been featured in news media such as NPR and Education Week. Eduardo holds MBA and M.A. in Education degrees from Stanford University, and bachelor's degrees in Economics and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Most important, he continues to enjoy lifelong learning every day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
deeper learning and higher-order thinking skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Deeper learning requires students to think, question, pursue, and create-to take agency and ownership of their learning. When they do, they acquire deeper understanding and skills, and most important, they become more competent learners in and out of school. They become better prepared to succeed in academics, but also in 21st century careers and in life.

# data[].attributes.headline
2.  10 Ways to Instill a Growth Mindset 

# data[].attributes.subject
2.  10 Ways to Instill a Growth Mindset 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Make math learning fun and effective with Prodigy Math Game. Free for students, parents and educators. Sign up today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're like me, when you read about having a growth mindset, you read about the idea of giving our students strategies to use when approaching a problem.

Rather than parroting some true but ultimately abstract ideas on growth mindset, I wanted to give teachers something real, tangible, and actionable that they can implement in their classrooms. So here are some classroom best practices that I've found and created to help your students develop a growth mindset. Let's dive in.
1. TEACH ABOUT FIXED MINDSET VS. GROWTH MINDSET
Recent develops in neuroscience have taught us that our brain is very malleable- more so than we ever though before. "Research on brain plasticity has shown how connectivity between neurons can change with experience. With practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses. These neuroscientific discoveries have shown us that we can increase our neural growth by the actions we take, such as using good strategies, asking questions, practicing, and following good nutrition and sleep habits." ( Mindset Works, 2017)

This means that knowledge isn't fixed! When we have a fixed mindset, we believe that people aren't capable of learning things that they don't take naturally to. We believe that some students are good at math, while others are good at reading. This couldn't be further from the truth. When we have a growth mindset, we understand that with the right kind of effort, we can learn anything. Learning is a process; a pathway to understanding. The path I may need to take to learn things may be different from the path you may need to take to learn things. That may give me a learning advantage in some areas, and you a learning advantage in others. But in the end, there is a pathway to the same level of understanding for both of us, no matter what the concept is. Having a growth mindset is about knowing that, and finding that path to understanding.
2. CREATE A SAFE PLACE FOR RISK TAKING
Parts of working toward a solid understanding of a concept are taking risks, trying new things, and overcoming obstacles. Let your students know that you value trying new things, thinking outside the box, trying over and over again, and facing a challenge head-on. That will help your students feel safe enough to take a learning risk themselves.

This can be accomplished by using number talks during math, trying a new strategy when solving a word problem, or making an effort to decode a word during guided reading. Celebrate and encourage these efforts daily and your students will feel validated in their risk-taking.
3. SET ACHIEVABLE MICRO-GOALS
Encourage growth and progress by setting small goals for your students. This will help build their confidence and help develop a growth mindset.

This could mean writing their name daily on their paper, getting 5 spelling words right, passing a level on their fact fluency test, and more. Any small goal along the pathway to understanding can encourage and bolster your students. Focus on the process they took to reach the goal, what they could learn from and do better next time, and how good it felt to accomplish something that felt difficult.
4. PRAISE PROPERLY
Make sure to praise the learning process (not just effort). Say things such as "I'm proud of you for trying more than one strategy when trying to solve that math problem!" or "The point isn't to get it right away. The point is to grow your understanding step by step. I like how you didn't give up when things got hard."

Some ideas of phrases to use are below.
5. EMBRACE THE WORD YET
As Dweck herself put it in a TED talk, "Just the words 'yet' or 'not yet,' we're finding, give kids greater confidence, give them a path into the future that creates greater persistence."

If a student says, "I can't spell my words correctly.", you can change their mindset by saying "You can't spell your words correctly....YET." Some things take time, effort, and practice and that's okay. It's expected. With persistence, practice, and asking for help, students can learn what they think they aren't good at.

"Making mistakes and accepting failure are natural and important parts of the learning process. Adopting a growth mindset in the face of failure provides both short- and long-term benefits; it turns mistakes into challenges for triumph - just speed bumps along the way to learning and mastery. When children make a mistake, Dweck explains, parents and teachers should be ready to praise them for their efforts, but not their efforts alone. They should also be sure to point out new ways of approaching a given problem, ones that point out the flaws or shortcomings of a previous strategy.

Of course making mistakes and failing is tough to manage, both for parents and children - but if you really want to help your kid develop a growth mindset, you need to help normalize mistakes and failures. You should use these potentially painful experiences as springboards for learning and progress." ( Noodle.com, 2015)
7. ESTABLISH HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Have you ever heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy? If you set the bar high and offer the right support to your students, they will rise to meet the challenge. If your students know you expect a lot of them, they will begin to expect a lot of themselves.

This could mean setting a goal to learn all of their math facts 0-10 by the end of the year, or moving up 2 reading levels. Anything that will push your students to try hard and want to succeed.
8. TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN MINDSET
Our students can learn from our experiences and examples. Talk openly about your struggles, your mistakes, and your mindset. This also helps create a safe zone for students to share their thoughts and feelings.

This could mean talking about how you felt you weren't good at math growing up or how your dyslexia made it hard to read and complete your homework. Talking openly about your own mindset can be powerful for the kids in our room because they begin to feel like they aren't alone and that it's okay to struggle.
9. GIVE OUR STUDENTS OPTIONS TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN NEEDED
"Eventually we all reach a point where we cannot figure out a solution. This can be a good time to ask for help. People with a growth mindset are more concerned about growing knowledge and skills than trying to look smart by not asking questions. Teachers we work with often model the process of asking for help from their students in classrooms, for example, and are open to asking for ideas from colleagues for making lessons more effective while sharing ideas." ( Teachthought.com, 2017)

Teach your kids that asking for help is a valuable tool that they always have in their learning toolbox. In fact, some of the smartest, most accomplished people in the world never stop asking questions to seek for understanding. Asking for help isn't something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. It's a valuable step toward learning and understanding.

This could mean having a "student teacher" in your room for different assignments that other kids can go to for help. It can mean setting the right tone so they feel comfortable coming to you for help.
10. EXPLAIN THAT SOME THINGS TAKE TIME AND EFFORT
Learning something new can sometimes take hard work, time, and effort. Some students think that if something is hard, they aren't smart enough to do it. Those students are the ones that often give up. Teach your kids that it's okay that something is hard and that effort is a skill.

This can mean working on a project for several weeks. It could also be practicing math facts all year long until they are mastered.
11. DEVELOP STAMINA
Learning can be challenging and it can take time. Sometimes when something seems difficult and is taking a long time, we want to give up. If we can develop our stamina, we can finish the task at hand. This can be done by working on a project for only a few minutes at a time. Then, day by day, increase the amount of work time until you get to your target amount. This will help you students build their stamina when approaching a project.

This could mean reading silently for 1 minute a day. Then 2 minutes, then 3, and so on until your students can read independently for 15-20 minutes.
12. TEACH THE VALUE OF CHALLENGES
When we push through the limits of our comfort zone to achieve a goal or accomplish something challenging, our brain forms stronger connections and our intelligence improves over time. Something that is challenging not only helps us learn or use new strategies (because we need to try something that we've never done before to solve the problem), it also gives us confidence to continue approaching things that may seem difficult.

One effective way I found to embrace a challenge, was to do a weekly open-ended math task in my room. Students could approach a math problem in their own way, using a variety of strategies. It helped build confidence and solidify the process over the product. You can learn more by clicking on one of the links below.

1. Math Task Explanations Part 1

2. Math Task Explanations Part 2

3. Math Task Explanations Part 3

4. Math Task Webinar (Free Online PD)
13. USE GOAL-BASED JOURNALING
Let your students write down their goals, what they plan to do to reach them, and how they are progressing toward their end goal. This will help them realize that their traits, knowledge, and skills are fixed. Remember that goals should be "SMART":
Specific Measureable Attainable Realistic
Time-based (a set time like 1 week or 1 month, not vague)
14. USE SUCCESS FOLDERS
Sometimes it's easy to get bogged down in our failures and frustrations. Help alleviate this by using Success Folders. Give each student a regular folder (the kind with two pockets or brackets) and let them personalize them. Then, set aside a time each week for students to right down or include examples of successful learning in their folder. This could mean including a test they passed, writing a paragraph about a goal they met, an explanation of a new concept they learned, or a phrase they said to themselves to help their growth mindset. This is a powerful reminder of the positive steps each student has taken.
15. LET KIDS FAIL
This sounds harsh, and is often hard to do as caring educators, but letting a student fail at something can be a powerful learning tool. Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure, talks about how letting kids fail helps the process of trial and error. It helps them make discoveries about themselves and the world around them. It also helps them learn lessons on responsibility, stamina, grit, follow-through, and more. This will foster a sense of accomplishment when they do complete a task and will teach them persistence.

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."-Henry Ford PEACE, LOVE, AND STICKY NOTES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Growth Mindset Strategies to Teach Your Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you're like me, when you read about having a growth mindset, you read about the idea of giving our students strategies to use when approaching a problem.

# data[].attributes.headline
4. Five Research-Based Tips for Providing Feedback

# data[].attributes.subject
4. Five Research-Based Tips for Providing Feedback

# data[].attributes.headline
4. When students have access to  feedback about how they are studying, reading, researching, etc...they can develop an awareness of their learning, and are more easily able to recognize mistakes and develop strategies for tackling those obstacles/weak points themselves

# data[].attributes.subject
4. When students have access to  feedback about how they are studying, reading, researching, etc...they can develop an awareness of their learning, and are more easily able to recognize mistakes and develop strategies for tackling those obstacles/weak points themselves

# data[].attributes.headline
5. True Grit: The Best Measure of Success

# data[].attributes.subject
5. True Grit: The Best Measure of Success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Can you predict academic success or whether a child will graduate? You can, but not how you might think.

When psychologist Angela Duckworth studied people in various challenging situations, including National Spelling Bee participants, rookie teachers in tough neighborhoods, and West Point cadets, she found:

One characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn't social intelligence. It wasn't good looks, physical health, and it wasn't IQ. It was grit.

Why is Grit So Important?

Using the Grit Scale that Duckworth developed with Chris Peterson, they found that grit is a better indicator of GPA and graduation rates. (IQ, however, is very predictive of standardized test scores.)

Add to this the findings (from Bowen, Chingos and McPherson's Crossing the Finish Line) that high school grades have a more predictive value of college success than standardized tests, and you may just see a shift from standardized test scores to high school GPA by some college admissions officers. As GPA becomes more important, grit will become more recognized as a vital part of 21st century student success -- as well it should be.

What is Grit?

Some would argue that grit is inherent in Albert Bandura's research on self-efficacy, and that resilience is also part of it. But you can't just implement "character education" and think you're teaching grit. In 2008, the Character Education Partnership divided character into two categories: core ethical values and performance values. In my opinion, grit would be categorized as a performance value.

Can Grit be Taught?

Here are 11 ways that I'm tackling grit in my classroom and school.
1. Read Books About Grit
Read books, hold book studies and discuss trends. Measuring noncognitive factors like grit will be controversial, but just because we struggle to measure it doesn't mean that we can stop trying.
Book Reading List: Trend Reading:

KIPP's Character Report Card

Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance: Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century (PDF) by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology

2. Talk About Grit
First, I give my students the grit scale test and let them score it. Then we watch Angela Duckworth's TED video together and talk about the decisions we make that impact grit. Empower students to educate themselves -- they can't wait for educators to figure this out.
3. Share Examples
In my ninth grade classroom, January starts with a video about John Foppe, born with no arms, who excelled as an honor student, drove his own car, and became a successful psychologist and speaker while creatively using his feet. We also talk to Westwood alum Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to complete an Ironman competition. These are gritty people. Life is hard, and luck is an illusion.
4. Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck from Stanford University teaches us that students who have a growth mindset are more successful than those who think that intelligence is fixed. (See David Hochheiser's post Growth Mindset: A Driving Philosophy, Not Just a Tool.)
5. Reframe Problems
Using stories and examples from Malcom Gladwell's book David and Goliath, we talk about "desirable difficulties." Students need perspective about problems to prevent them from giving up, quitting or losing hope.
6. Find a Framework
I use Angela Maiers' Classroom Habitudes as my framework. The KIPP framework specifically includes grit as one of its seven traits. Find one that works for your school and includes clear performance values.
7. Live Grittily
You teach with your life. Perhaps that is why Randy Pausch's Last Lecture and David Menasche's Priority List resonate. These teachers used their own battle with death itself as a way to teach. But you don't have to die to be an effective teacher. Our own work ethic yells so loudly that kids know exactly what we think about grit.
8. Foster Safe Circumstances That Encourage Grit
Never mistake engaging, fun or even interesting for easy. We don't jump up and down when we tear off a piece of tape because "I did it." No one celebrates easy, but everyone celebrates championships and winners because those take grit (and more). We need more circumstances to help kids to develop grit before they can "have it."

Tough academic requirements, sports and outdoor opportunities are all ways to provide opportunities for developing grit. Verena Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer of CANeLearn says:

One of the best ways to learn about grit is to focus on outdoor education and go out into the wild. Grit is about not freaking out, taking a deep breath, and moving on.

9. Help Students Develop Intentional Habits
Read about best practices for creating habits, because habits and self-control require grit.
10. Acknowledge the Sacrifice Grit Requires
Grit takes time, and many students aren't giving it. In their 2010 paper " The Falling Time Cost of College", Babcock and Marks demonstrate that, in 1961, U.S. undergraduates studied 24 hours a week outside of class. In 1981, that fell to 20 hours, and in 2003, it was 14 hours per week. This is not to create a blame or generation gap discussion, but rather to point out the cost of being well educated. We are what we do, and if we study less and work less, then we will learn less.
11. Discuss When You Need Grit and When You Need to Quit
Grit is not without controversy. Alfie Kohn has some valid points in his criticism of grit. So read and discuss the opponents of grit in class.

In particular, I agree with the point that there is a time for grit and a time to quit. There are times when it's OK to quit something that just isn't within your range of talents, or when trying something different may enrich your life. Worthy tasks deserve persistence. But there are tasks that would be worthier in a different season of your life. There are jobs that should be left. Sometimes you have to let go of something good to grasp something great. Students need discernment to know when they need grit and when it may be a time to quit.
Educators Need Grit

Now we as teachers just need the grit to do whatever it takes to turn education around, and that starts with hard work and our own modern version of true grit. Teaching it and living it is now front and center in the education conversation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Can you predict academic success or whether a child will graduate? You can, but not how you might think. When psychologist Angela Duckworth studied people in various challenging situations, including National Spelling Bee participants, rookie teachers in tough neighborhoods, and West Point cadets, she found: One characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success.