"In my experience, identity-based habits tie in directly with the research from Dweck and her contemporaries. When you let the results define you — your talent, your test scores, your weight, your job, your performance, your appearance — you become the victim of a fixed mindset. But when you dedicate yourself to showing up each day and focusing on the habits that form a better identity, that's when you learn and develop. That's what a growth mindset looks like in the real world."

Another growth mindset characteristic is working through setbacks and using them as opportunities to grow. Reading about overcoming setbacks and focusing on progress made me think of Michael Jordan. He was cut from his high school basketball team, and he was devastated. However, his mom told him that if basketball was something he wanted, then he needed to practice and not give up. So, he practiced and worked hard until next year’s tryouts, and the rest is history. Imagine if he had a fixed mindset; we would have missed one of the best basketball players! 

It is my job  to get my students to see the value in productive struggle.

It is my job to get my students to realize that making mistakes, asking questions, and thinking about their errors will help them learn.

I need to empower my students to take risks and figure things out by problem solving. 

I need to praise students using language that focuses on effort and value in the struggle.

As I read these blog posts and articles and reflected on my own mindset, it made me think about how influential my home life was in shaping my mindset about most things. I was a perfect example of a student who felt uncomfortable to be wrong or make a mistake, and as a result I rarely took risks. The first two suggestions in the Big Life journal pdf are "starting with yourself" and "sharing the concept." As I plan to implement my learning about mindset into my classroom, I will be sure to share my own mindset journey with my students. 

Teaching students in a growth mindset classroom is proven over and over again to reduce the achievement gap. I’m grateful for her suggestions of things I can continue to work on in order to  “build the bridge to yet.” 

I also liked the reminder that learning is a lifelong process. We never discourage young kids while they learn to walk, learn their letters, and write their names. Instead, we celebrate and encourage them throughout the process. Then why do we get frustrated when older students/adults can’t immediately do a new task/skill? Growth mindset allows teachers to view students’ success (however small) as growth in the right direction. When students make mistakes, or don’t make growth, we now have another opportunity to do it again. This is why growth mindset is so exciting! 

I loved the Big Life Journal visual about growth mindset activities for students. Mindset Kit also talks about how these ideas are a game changer for students. “It’s a science lesson, not just brainwashing.” The growth mindset YouTube video also confirms the powerful message of teaching growth mindset lessons in the authors comment about neuroplasticity: “Working hard on something challenging can cause anatomical changes in the brain.” How fascinating that our brains grow with challenges!

A little backstory: I am really passionate about the human body so I asked my coworker if I could switch science units with her for our quarterly rotation. This means I get to discuss the skeletal, muscular and nervous systems. In my day-to-day plans, I am excited to integrate growth mindset activities into my nervous system unit! With that being said, I think one of the most beneficial lessons to use in my science class will mirror ideas from Big Life Journals’ Neuroplasticity Activities and Resources. (I am looking forward to creating more lessons for my Growth Mindset Unit Plan. If anyone has any other ideas that would relate growth mindset to the nervous system at the elementary level, I would love to hear them as well!)

The first lesson idea I am planning to incorporate into my lessons is building a brain out of Play-Doh. I think this idea is important because as we learn about the different sections of the brain, students will be able to place the various parts together to help them learn about the anatomical structures. More importantly, students will also have the opportunity to see how neurons are the ‘messengers’ of the brain, and how neurons play a key role in our growth mindsets.

Finally, I loved the example that our brains can produce enough electricity to power a lightbulb. This is such a powerful real-life example that students will be able to see how truly powerful and amazing their brains are!

In the two videos, the whole school embraced and celebrated challenges. Everyone was on board with a growth mindset mentality, and the results were amazing! The teachers expected students to struggle, and they let them struggle. Instead of rushing right over and solving all the problems, they asked questions to guide students in their learning. By asking leading and thought-provoking questions the students were still able to do their own learning. The teachers helped students develop perseverance by allowing them to struggle.

These articles and videos gave me two ideas that I will be implementing in my classroom next year. First, I’ve heard the acronym FAIL-First Attempt In Learning before, but I had forgotten about it. This is such a powerful way to approach mistakes. Seeing a failure as a first attempt is a freeing way to approach learning. I am going to use this acronym with my students this year when we talk about mistakes. I have a sign that says “mistakes are proof that you are trying,” and I will be adding the FAIL acronym to my classroom décor as a daily reminder to myself. Second, I am going to start high-fiving students when they make a mistake. I’ve always told students that it’s ok to make mistakes, and I point out my own mistakes. However, now I believe it’s important to celebrate, not just normalize, making mistakes. I want my kids to be excited that they tried something even if it didn’t work. I want them to celebrate each other taking risks and encourage each other to try again. I’m so excited to make these two changes! 

The tools, posters and lesson ideas provided are perfect for the subject and level that I teach. Providing hands-on activities, like creating a brain or playing a game showing connections being made, will be great additions to teaching a growth mindset. I especially liked how it was mentioned that the brain continues to strengthen and grow. I will work to provide ways and outlets for my students to try new things and make the experience of making mistakes just as valuable as getting it “right”. Celebrating the journey and the fact that our brains are growing when we continue to try new things and work through our struggles.

I also found the 7 different ways we can teach kids about the importance of failure from Big Life Journal to be very beneficial. One that really stood out for me was how we can teach students mindfulness techniques to regulate their feelings when they experience failure. 

I also love when Dweck mentions in her video on the teaching channel that with a growth mindset we begin to become proud of our struggle as it allows us to find more meaning in our learning. I hope to help not only myself but my students become proud of the learning opportunities that allow them to work hard and put forth a lot of effort! 

After analyzing the videos from Carol Dweck and Trever Ragan, I have a deeper understanding of how I can cultivate a growth mindset environment in my classroom. Throughout Dweck and Ragan’s videos, both authors stated the importance of establishing a growth mindset: “Growth mindset is the foundation of great learning.” It is essential to develop a growth mindset environment so students are able to expand their knowledge. The two fundamental components that make up a growth mindset is one’s beliefs and focus. With the elements of a belief to succeed and a positive focus on the task at hand, learning happens. Ragan emphasizes effort, challenges, mistakes and feedback; factors a part of a growth mindset. Instilling the facts that skills are built, rather than born, and continuing to focus on the process over the product, students will understand that they are in control of their abilities (Dweck). As a classroom teacher, I have the responsibility to cultivate growth mindset opportunities for my students. To the best of my ability, I will praise students’ processes in their learning. I will also give constructive feedback about students’ strategies and efforts in their learning. Dweck tells us that establishing equality in education can happen with a growth mindset. “It’s a human right to live in places with yet.”

I have now had the opportunity to apply this technique and have really seen the benefits of wait time. I have more recently found however, that I am struggling with support staff when it comes to wait time. I will admit I shy away from confrontation. But I have on occasion had to swallow that fear and address issues that have arisen in my room regarding wait time. There are a few paras that attend my classes regularly with students that weren’t respecting the fact that I was purposefully using this time for students to think deeper about questions I was asking. And that I was purposefully calling on students that were taking a risk by raising their hand, even though I knew they most likely would get the answer wrong. The paras were jumping in and answering the questions when they began to feel uncomfortable with the dead silence. I had to explain that this was intentional and I was using this time for students to develop answers and even discuss with neighbors to find out the correct answers together. It was awkward but it was also a necessary conversation I had to have. 

We need to establish a culture and climate in our classroom that supports making  mistakes.A lot of this happens with big emotions tied to it. That is why it is important to have built strong relationships between students and teachers and students and students. Everyone needs to be comfortable in the learning space and know that they will be accepted.

Another thing that came to mind is the connection between making mistakes and receiving feedback.  To truly support a growth mindset you can’t have one without the other. Students won’t move on from mistakes unless given the chance to understand and correct them. This chance is provided because of the feedback they receive. The feedback may be from a teacher or a student. Students can be taught how to provide helpful non judgemental feedback to each other. This ability will set them up for a lifetime of success. 

I love that this quote mentions cheating! When a student feels and knows that it’s ok to make a mistake the need for cheating to get the correct answer is lessened. I have also seen in my own students that they are willing to take more risks which is also mentioned. In my class I really try to stress creative thinking and idea generating. If a student feels like the project idea is truly theirs, then ultimately they can decide the best way to complete the task. If there are roadblocks or mistakes made along the way (as there most likely will be) the student is able to figure out the best solution on their own. Whereas if the task or project was given to them by the teacher they may feel the pressure to complete the project in the same way that the teacher views is best. Thus their drive to archive might be hindered. It may also cause stress and anxiety to do things “right”. 

I was also excited to read about the strategies for including the whole class. As educators we all know that our comments and feedback impact students' ways of thinking greatly. But at times I feel like what they hear from their peers affect them at a deeper level. What they perceive their peers think of them can make or break their self esteem. Giving students the skills to give constructive feedback is something that I intend to really focus on. This will give me an opportunity to lead by example as well as stay focused on my word choices. 

I really liked the Edutopia article with suggestions on how to teach with mistakes. It was a great reminder on how easy it is to implement these strategies in the classroom, and these small changes can have a huge positive impact on students. My favorite suggestion was basing grades off of students’ improvements and not off of how many answers they get correct. This small change will help foster growth mindset in students. Yes, it might take a little longer than just correcting, recording the score, and passing back the assignment. However, students will actually see assignments as learning when we take this approach. I also really liked the idea of displaying work that students made mistakes on, fixed, and learned from. 

I liked the strategy of “Two Stars and a Wish.” I feel this is a very developmentally appropriate strategy for kindergarten students to use to give peer feedback. I like that students start by giving two positives and give constructive feedback in the form of a wish. I’m going to start by modeling this strategy on my own guided drawings/journaling, and then ease into students giving feedback to themselves before giving it to others. I can’t wait to use this in my classroom this year! 

I also really appreciated the “Strategies to enhance peer feedback” and how we can help our students give growth messages to their peers. This is necessary in helping to create a safe place where mistakes are welcomed as learning moments. I am looking forward to using two stars and a wish among some of the other ideas with my students in the fall. 

After taking a look at some of the resources provided, here are my biggest takeaways:

I also liked the strategies for deciding who answers first in partner/small group sharing. When I do a turn and talk, I have some students who go first and talk the whole time. I also have very shy students who don’t want to talk to a peer or with a group. However, these strategies of deciding who talks first ensures that students will get to share first sometimes and have to listen first others. Establishing clear routines and expectations will also help all students feel comfortable sharing their thinking. It’s important to reinforce that students learn from mistakes so that wrong answers or ideas are not seen as negative or embarrassing. I also liked the “write, share, pair” strategy. While this isn’t completely appropriate for kindergarten, students could draw, share, and pair to ensure students have enough time to think about their response. I’m excited to try all of these strategies to help my students talk through their feelings and learning. 

Another way to think about our thinking is to focus on progress not the end product. If we identify and celebrate the growth we’ve made, we are fostering a growth mindset. However, if every mistake is punished or no mistakes are made, the learning isn’t as meaningful. I liked the PDF that gives ideas on how to teach teens growth mindset. This PDF mentioned not making a child’s path as easy as possible by removing any obstacle in the path. Instead, adults need to be there to support children while they try things and learn. Allowing students to try things on their own, and make and learn from mistakes, will make them more resilient throughout their lives. I also liked that this PDF mentioned that adults should ask open ended questions about what their child should do next instead of saying “do this to fix the problem.” I’m excited to share my growth mindset knowledge with parents, so they can help develop a growth mindset approach to learning and making mistakes at home too. 

After taking a look at this week’s provided resources and analyzing the ninth key characteristic of a growth mindset educator, I have come to the conclusion that in order to provide students with rich learning opportunities, I need to create various ways to get students thinking deeper about content material. Here are some tangible examples of how I can cultivate meaningful constructed responses with students:

I really admire the tenth characteristic of a growth mindset educator because working hard and putting forth the effort are values that I hold close to my heart. From the resources provided this week, one of my favorite quotes was from Habits of Mind. In this short clip, we learn about a boy who wants to improve his baseball skills. One of the boy’s friends suggested that he become mindful of his thoughts: “Slow down, plan a strategy, and focus.” I really admire this quote because it can really be applied to any situation! Habits of Mind tells us when we are in the present moment, we can cultivate our skills. “When you think about your thinking you are focusing on what you are doing, how you can do it better.” I plan to use this strategy in my everyday teaching practice (and in my personal life, too!) When we feel overwhelmed, not like ourselves, or are caught up in the drama of everyday situations, when we tell ourselves to hit the pause button, we can really be present in the moment, which allows us to act with integrity and confidence; skills I hope to pass onto my students.

Another aspect to creating a space where students feel comfortable talking about mistakes/failures is sharing our own experiences with setbacks and how important it was to continue to practice and put forth effort in order to work through a challenge. I am looking forward to building upon these types of conversations with students in the future. 

I also liked the math talk video because the students were collaborating about their learning. They weren’t getting points for having the right answer. Instead they were sharing ideas and different approaches. I like how the teacher approached the disagreement. Starting by saying “I love it. We have a disagreement. We can learn” was a great way to set the tone that disagreements can be positive and a way to learn. I also like that she shared both ideas and asked students to discuss. She then talked with the student and asked what he wanted the answer to be. She was guiding his learning without taking his learning opportunity away from him.  She was fostering a growth mindset and community, and the students were engaged. The teacher did a great job of showing her students that we can learn from others and we can help each other succeed. 

The eleventh characteristic of a growth mindset educator is definitely one of my favorites! I am a very charismatic, happy, excitable teacher, so this characteristic comes a little more easily for me (;

Here are my biggest takeaways from the resources provided:

In short, I now know the importance of celebrating learning, and I look forward to integrating more opportunities for students to celebrate growth in my classroom.

Having an open dialogue where students feel comfortable expressing their feelings. Carving out time in the day to have discussions about struggles and failures and the way students can engage in negative self talk over these. Addressing such talk openly will show students that they are not the only one that feels this way and that it is healthy to talk about it and this can help them to process and grow. 

The information for lesson planning is a great tool especially for the times when a curriculum begins to feel menotinuse or routine. Changing the presentation of the lesson and essential questions can give new life to a standard or lesson that has become “boring”. 

I have a lot of passion for the twelfth characteristic of a growth mindset educator! I believe that when students take ownership of their learning, true and meaningful growth happens. After taking a look at the resources provided, my biggest takeaway is that students need to become excited about what they have learned.

When students do reflect, they tend to be very negative about their own work.  It was helpful to read the “7 ways to respond to your child’s negative self-talk.”  In particular, I liked the advice about using specific praise to show your child how great they’re doing and “talk openly about negative self-talk.”  These are both things that I need to try with my students this year.

Giving students adequate time to think about and answer questions is another way we can model perseverance and encourage that quality in our students.  Teachers should not be expecting students to answer immediately to questions that are asked.  We need to let students think and formulate a response.  We had talked about wait time in a previous week, and I again learned some things as I read the article “The importance of Wait Time”.  Wait time 1 is certainly important as we should wait 3-5 seconds for students to respond.  But I was especially convicted about wait time 2.  After a student response, teachers should give a short pause before reacting to let students complete or elaborate on their answer.  This is something that I haven’t done but I will try to do going forward.  The “get back to me” strategy is also so powerful in helping students persevere.  It takes some of the anxiety off of students that are not comfortable thinking when others are looking at them.  But it also values the student as it gives them a chance to have their voice heard after some time to formulate their answers.

This was a good characteristic for me to learn about because I feel like I need to remember that I should welcome challenges as a catalyst for growth.  I am teaching a new math class this year that I have never taught before and I am apprehensive about how this school year is going to look with the current pandemic.  This characteristic of embracing challenges was encouraging to me that I can shift my mindset and model to my students the right attitude to have toward challenging environments.

I think it is so important to model persistence to students on a regular basis to demonstrate the fact that learning does involve some level of struggle, but how we react and what we learn during the struggle is what learning is all about! Here are my biggest takeaways after analyzing the resources provided:

In The Power of Resilience, Brooks and Goldstein write that “Resilient individuals are those who have a set of assumptions or attitudes about themselves that influence their behaviors and the skills they develop.”  As educators we need to be the charismatic adults who model growth mindset for our students at all times. I also appreciated the suggestions about how teachers can organize their classrooms to promote more engagement by offering choice.  The advice to help students recognize their own competence is also a good one. So often, students who struggle academically have a hard time seeing that they still have strengths.

It is important to believe, model, and teach resilience to students. When students see the classroom teacher accept and work through difficulties, she speaks volumes to the fourteenth characteristic. Here are my biggest takeaways from the resources provided:

The article on wait time was a good reminder of the importance and purpose of wait time. My first takeaways from this article were related to the “get back to me” strategy, but reading through it for a second time got me thinking about wait time when technology is involved. Because most of us incorporate tech at some level in our classrooms it is important for us to intentionally provide time for students to determine whether they will utilize the technology, or if they can figure something out/answer a question without it. We must model patience and show students that they don’t always have to rely on technology for their answers. 

One thing that struck me from the final article was that when a student completes work well and quickly, they might not even be learning. Wow! It makes sense, but I hadn’t ever thought of it that way. If there wasn’t a struggle or challenge, did true, deep learning really even occur? This is something I will be focusing on as I monitor my students’ learning this fall. Are they struggling? Is there actual learning happening? 

The other huge takeaway from these resources is the major importance of me presenting the challenges of new learning as exciting. I need to figure out how to get my students to be up for the struggles that come with school. They will need to understand that struggle is necessary for learning, and if they approach the struggle with a growth mindset and positive, confident attitude they will most likely succeed.