Most students believe they are born either smart or stupid. They need to be taught to rethink this.

It all begins with US. We have to do the intrinsic work and identify our own biases and come up with a plan on how we would be agents of change. We have to think before we say anything about a students' ability & rephrase this into a growth mindset way. All students are capable of learning English or whatever the objective is, we just have to open the doors and show them how to - judgement free.

All students need to get out of their comfort zones and realize that it is Ok to fail, as long as we learn from them and try to improve.

I liked how they compared dancing to learning. Someone who believes they are not able to dance will just goof around so that observers see it as not trying, instead of posibiliy failing.

Last year, a freshman wrote in his notebook that he was afraid he would "never learn English." I talked to him casually about it, mentioned it to a supportive parent during our November conferences. He's now in my ELA4 class and is one of the students who takes the most risks while improving his language. He is a student who succeeds with less effort in his other content classes, and he's struggled with accepting the struggle. These articles make me wonder about the students who are on the other side of the coin. How I can actively draw all of my students' attention to this part of the process of learning, especially the students who maybe struggle with school in general and not just language class?

"Our research shows that educators cannot hand students confidence on a silver platter by praising their intelligence. Instead, we can help them gain the tools they need to maintain their confidence in learning by keeping them focused on the process of achievement."

Having GROWTH MINDSET is understanding the process. It is NOT always a smooth journey. But, believing that you can is a PLUS.