How I would use it in the classroom:

We talk about growth mindset often in the classroom, because it is a big focus at our school. In particular, we do an entire week-long series of lessons regarding growth mindset during the first week of school.

I think I would use this in the classroom as a check-in point for growth mindset, perhaps just before Christmas break. It could be used to see where we are at now on our growth mindset skills, versus when we first learned about it at the beginning of the year.

The best way to do this would be to run through the steps of growth mindset (#s1-10), perhaps with some growth mindset charts. I think it would be a good idea for them to collaborate with some Kagan strategies for conversation at this point too. Then, it’s really important for them to work on the self-evaluation that is included in this journal. It’s true/false and really gives students, and their teachers, a great idea of what they are thinking about and how they have grown regarding growth mindset.

At the end of the lesson and discussion, students would then use the “stars” to show what they are thinking and write a few sentences (or draw a few pictures, depending on the age and level of writing of students) as an exit ticket. I think they could then be hung up for other classes to view in the hallway.

Interactive Journal

I used growth mindset into my classroom by:

-Visible Growth Mindset Charts

I have several charts throughout my classroom and research has indicated students are most likely to challenge themselves and learn from their mistakes. Having GM chart in my classroom improves students performance.

-Affirmation Area with mirrors to read to themselves

I placed small mirrors in a small corner of my classroom with affirmations around them. The area focuses on decreasing stress, activate or increase self-worth, or improve academic performance.

-Encourage students to expand on their or other answers.

During instructional time, when asking questions if a student becomes "stuck" I ask if another student can help them and they pick a friend to expand on their answers.

-Improving and building on students prior knowledge

In my classroom if a students is struggling academically, I focus on prior knowledge and build upon what they need to know. Students often want to understand and at a deeper level.

-Display and site "Yet" statements

I have a book with Yet statements and I have read this book to my class. I often reiterate the characters in the book and how they struggle. "Yet" statements can change a negative attitude and promote growth.

I feel students know they can develop growth through their own skills and talents with effort and persistence. If you believe in them, and they believe in you miracles can happen within your classroom.

Purpose: Classroom Management Strategy to disrupt a disruptive class.

The use mentioned in the resource stated the teacher played a music selection when the class was whiny and busy complaining and that the class responded by reducing their complaints and whining in the future.

In my classroom I use a door bell to get the class' attention when the noise level is high or to signal them to freeze so I can give them instructions for the next activity.

This can be for all grades

Activity: Inside-Outside Circle (KAGAN structure)

Purpose: deeper learning, collaboration, discourse.

Students form 2 circles: inner circle faces outer circle. Students face each other. (even number of students work best). One circle moves clockwise, the other counter clockwise until the teacher says "freeze". A variation for younger students would be to have the outer circle move over to people to the right and stop. Teacher asks a question and have both partners discuss the question. Then the teacher directs them to move again.

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There are other variations given, such as use it as review, drill and practice activity, or as a listening activity where one partner talks, the other listens and then summarizes what their partner says.

In my 2nd grade class, I would use this as review as well as a listening activity to see if they can restate what their partner said.

Purpose: Classroom Management Strategy

Establishing routines and posting the day's schedule helps manage the class. It gives the students the certainty of what is to come and decreases the excuse of "I didn't know what to do". In kindergarten, I use a color-coded schedule on a pocket chart and I move a clip down from one section to the next. They don't ask if it's lunch time or time to go home anymore and if they do, I point them to the schedule.

In my classroom, I would use the article to teach students about growth mindset, starting with a discussion on overcoming challenges and how effort contributes to success.

The activity included has students drawing illustrations to represent brain growth in order to help them visualize and express the concept creatively. I’d incorporate growth mindset into goal-setting. We would revisit their goals throughout the year to reflect on progress and reinforce the idea of continuous growth. I would also explore neuroplasticity during morning meetings to discuss how a growth mindset applies to academic tasks, social skills, and everyday problem-solving.

1. Make Two Lines and have the students chose the one to join. One is for the students who are "Ready to Learn" and one is for "Going to Misbehave". It makes their behavior their choice.

2. Rate on a Scale. Ask the students to rate themselves from 1-10 on how ready they are to ... (fill in the blank). It could be learn how to add, complete their homework, etc.

3. A Goal Sheet. So at the beginning of class they make a goal for the day and then reflect on their progress at the end of class.

4. Student Created Rules. Have the students make the rules and they are more invested in them.

5. Public Goals. Have the students publicly share their goals, it helps them get more invested.

6. Remind by Asking. Instead of telling them what they should be doing, ask them, "What are you going to do right now?" it helps them do the right thing.

These are simple ways to encourage students to make the right choice and do the right thing. It is all about making them want it for themselves, not for the reward you are offering or the punishment they could receive.

I like these questions and the flowchart they created to help students.

I love the idea of self-assessment for students. I think this gives them a chance to really look at the inner them and take notice and ownership of themselves. This teaches or ties into goal setting and intrinsic motivation. The article says that when our students learn to ask the right self-assessment questions and keep themselves accountable, the results in learning improvement can be amazing.

Self-assessment carries a number of benefits for both students and teachers. Here are just a few of them:

• It encourages students to take more responsibility for learning.

• Self-assessment is a highly effective critical thinking exercise.

• Students are usually frank and honest in their assessment of their own performance and that of their peers.

• It reduces the assessment workload on the teacher.

• It promotes deep understanding of content topics and learning styles.

• Self-assessment lets students consider their decisions, reflect on actions, and consider/plan future processes.

Strategy: Carousel Brainstorming-

Place chart paper in 4-6 locations around the room. Each paper will have something for students to do such as respond, reflect, answer, etc. Students are put into groups and will begin at different locations. Students will complete the task at one location and will move as a timer rings. Students rotate through each location and will do a gallery walk at the end to view all responses.

I actually used this several years ago and forgot all about it. I would like to start using this technique for brainstorming or as a closure activity for students. I think that every grade could use this in a different way.

Purpose: A collaborative process that helps students understand their learning goals. Discovering what students know while they're sill in the process of learning it.

While the top of the page states that this is formative assessment strategies for grades 6-12 I found some that I can use and I do use in my kindergarten classroom.

1. "I have, who has?": Teacher creates a set of cards on which you write what you are learning. Each student receives a card and seeks to find the person with the missing card. I use this game often in my classroom. We use it with letters, numbers, cvc words, and digraphs. It is fun and engaging.

2. Conferences: Student understanding can be formatively assessed using one-on-one conferences with each student in the class. Take notes during the conferences to refer to later when planning instruction. I use one-on-one conferences monthly in my classroom. Target questions are determined ahead of time to ensure that the information received matches the goal. Students answer the question to the best of their ability and then we always have a discussion on how to improve upon that or if they are doing well I give them specific praise related to it.

3. Ticket out the door: This is a good assessment when there are a few minutes at the end of a lesson or class. The teacher can ask a quick question and check in with students to have them exit the room or end the lesson. This assessment allows students to reflect on what they have learned. I use it for high-frequency words, letters and sounds, number ID, and quantifying.

Formative assessments are key in identifying areas where students need more help and ensuring they are on track to meet learning goals.

Article is about: How can you can grow your intelligence?

I will first clarify the work malleable. For that I will read the picture book Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, to teach students that intelligence is not a fix trait, we will do a compare and contrast activity to review the concepts Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, The Power of Yet, and some activities to understand that they have the ability to stretch and grow their own intelligence, like the article mentions.

I will teach them that mistakes are part of learning. We will learn/research about famous people that experienced failures before success, like Michel Jordan, Orpha, Thomas Edison, and Walt Disney. To engage students with the anatomy and various functions of the brain in a fun and engaging way, I will use play-doh, to design a dendrite, to name the parts or the dendrites, and finally we will act out how the information is received from neurons, and from the environment.

Pre and Post Test: What Does it Mean to Be Smart? True or False

Purpose - Building a classroom that is self-motivating rather than through rewards.

Classroom use - Unsure. I like some of the ideas but I am a firm believer in positive behavior intervention. I use coupons in my class to reward them and they can exchange the coupons for treats or small items like stickers. I have done this for years and my students always tell me how much they love it. Our school is also using the 5+ Star program where they get points for themselves and their House based on LEADERship qualities. Kids are really getting into it.

I decided to read this article because I know there is the other side to my argument. I did like a couple of ideas:

Question with a Scale

First ask students, "On a scale of one to ten, how ready are you to . . . ?"
Then ask, "Why didn't you pick the lower number?"

For example: "On a scale of one to ten, how likely are you to do your homework tonight?" The follow-up question is key to their persuading themselves that they are likely to complete the task.

makes them think about their choices.

Remind by Asking

If you tell students what they are supposed to be doing, it may cause psychological reactance, an aversive reaction caused by a real or perceived reduction in autonomy or freedom. However, if you ask students what they are going to do, the freedom to choose is one of the most persuasive tactics ever found.

I like this. Just asking, "Are you going to complete your essay today or lose the opportunity to pass this class?" The only thing is we cannot settle for a shrug or an I Don't Know. Tell them to make a choice and get it done!! I have asked them many a time if they wanted to pass or fail. Every time they say PASS. Students do not want to choose to fail. We just need to remind them of that.

Just like the fox, we sometimes tell ourselves a story to justify our actions. I am going to place my students in situations where they can persuade themselves that they were intrinsically motivated to behave a certain way or to carry out certain actions.

Purpose: We talk about self-persuasion. How we can teach ourselves to have opposing thoughts (cognitive dissonance). One example of self-persuasion I am going to use in my classroom is: The Goal Sheet. It is a simple form, filled out every class period, has students commit to learning at the beginning of the class, and then has them review their commitment at the end of class. All of the resources and activities are going to be helpful for me and I plan to save them to use with my students.

Purpose: build intrinsic motivation

How would you use it in your classroom?

strategy #6 - Remind by asking

• I usually say to students, "What are you supposed to do?" I'll try asking them, "What are you going to do?" and see if that helps build intrinsic motivation; then I can point out how they know what to do and how it helps the class

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Purpose: The purpose of the slideshow was to introduce teachers to changes they could make when students are working in groups that would help cause them to become more responsible for their learning and more independent.

How I would use the slideshow: I loved the ideas presented. Being that I teach 6th graders, the beginning of the school year would be a perfect time to start changing my students' ideas about group work. Students new to middle school aren't very independent. Everything is new. I think requiring more from them concerning managing their time in the classroom and being more self-reliant, in general, is important.

I would use it before MAP goal conferencing. Reminding students we do hard things at school and throughout our lives.

6th grade 

Purpose of the Activity: To develop students’ intrinsic motivation to succeed, I will use the Growth Mindset Journal and Collaborative/Cooperative Learning Strategies

How would I use them in my classroom:

At the beginning of the school year, I plan to introduce the use of Growth Mindset Journal with the goal of developing students’ intrinsic motivation through self-reflection of their abilities and skills which they will cultivate throughout the school year in order to be successful academically. I will use the “True or False Activity on What Does It Mean To Be Smart?” so that students can evaluate their perception of what it means to be smart. I will use their responses as an evaluation tool to determine their perception of being smart. In this manner, I can plan lessons and create activities according to my students’ abilities.

In addition, I will also use the collaborative/cooperative learning strategies in the article “Cooperative Learning Ideas & Activities Deeper Learning: A Collaborative Classroom Is Key” when I plan to give group activities to my students. I will select group activities that promote engagement, critical thinking, and problem solving. It will also improve students’ social and communication skills where they are in a safe and productive learning environment. Students are not afraid to commit mistakes as they collaborate with their peers.

Classroom Management Strategies from 19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies

Strategy 1 is called Follow the First Step of Hypnosis. I found this strategy helpful because it is about giving one direction, then waiting for 100% compliance before moving onto the next step. I think this is an important strategy to remember to help our students realize that paying attention and following directions the first time given can make things go more smoothly so students don't forget and so teachers can be less redundant.

Question with a Scale

Purpose: Self Persuasion

I read the article Strategies to Build Intrinsic Motivation by David Palank. The article discusses how often the classroom uses punishment and rewards. These are all external forces. Palank encourages the use of other strategies to persuade behavior.  I liked 2 ideas:

1. Two lines- make two lines and have students join one of them based on “who is ready to learn” and “who is going to misbehave.” I love that the students must think about their own choice and hopefully it will hold them more accountable.

2. Rate on a scale- The student must think about how ready they are on a scale 1-10. An example is “How ready are you to participate in a lesson? 

I chose these because even my first grades can make choices on how their own learning is going to go that day!

Growth Mindset Feedback Tool

This tool gives sentence frames for the teacher to use with students that are positively stated in Growth Mindset language.

For example:

When you think you can’t do it, remind yourself that you can’t do it yet.

You can do it – it’s tough, but you can; let’s break it down into steps.

What parts were difficult for you? Let’s look at them.

I see you using your strategies/tools/notes/etc. Keep it up!

What choices did you make that you think contributed to your success?