Many states across the United States are starting to plan for returning to school! Here in Michigan, it seems that teachers are planning what their day will look like. Every teacher is asking questions…
- Where will the students be academically?
- How much did students regress over this extended time at home?
- How will I run my class with the new guidelines for health safety?
- Will I be told to get rid of certain tools that are developmentally appropriate?
- What will the priorities be in my class?
Teaching your students to have a Growth Mindset should be at the top of your priority list! This year more than ever!
What is Growth Mindset?
Growth Mindset is a way of thinking and understanding that our brains are constantly growing as we learn. It’s how we understand our own abilities and use those abilities throughout the learning process.
A growth mindset teaches students to understand how they learn and how the effort they put forth will determine the success they find.
Developing this kind of mindset plays a key role in student motivation, confidence, and academic achievement. It will actually boost their ability to achieve! Who doesn’t want that! Let’s get down to it. There are two important things to consider:
1- Students can learn to control their attitudes about learning.
2- Students can learn to control the amount of effort they put forth.
Helping a child understand that they are in control of how their brain thinks is so powerful!
Having a Growth Mindset opens a door for our students that allows them to see daily challenges with a new perspective and hopefully give them the confidence to tackle the challenge, one step at a time.
Having the confidence to tackle daily challenges, one step at a time should be our goal in education. Shifting our focus from the end result to tackling the little goals along the way with a positive attitude.
Why is learning to have a Growth Mindset so important for developmental growth?
Teaching the philosophy of Growth Mindset will set your students up for success. Having a Growth Mindset allows students to believe the following:
- I can dream big
- I can be positive
- I can be grateful
- I believe in myself
- I can be mindful.
- My effort can be the key to my learning.
- I can and will take action
- I learn each time I fail
- I can make a difference
Right now, we have no idea where our students will fall academically when they return to school. If we make teaching our students to have a Growth Mindset a priority, they will all reach their highest potential academically.
Every teacher and every administrator is asking so many questions. But there is really one question that we should be asking…
What is it that our students need most (in a time like this), that will give them the best chance to achieve success?
A Growth Mindset!
Students who have a growth mindset will believe in themself, gain confidence, gain endurance to apply effort, and create a more well rounded, happy, and healthy mind. This positive mindset will enable students to outperform those students with a fixed mindset. When a student believes in themself and feels good throughout the process, they will achieve!
How can you teach your kids to have a Growth Mindset?
Through PRACTICE, EFFORT, AND PERSISTENCE we can train our brain muscle to gain a positive and healthy mental ability to handle all situations. In the Early Childhood years (prek-grade 3), and really into pre-teen and teenage years, we can provide our students with a chance to form good mental habits. We can do this by providing them with opportunities to PRACTICE, PUT FORTH EFFORT, AND BE PERSISTENT.
Have your heard of NEUROPLACTICITY?
If not read my previous blog post by clicking here.
Practice, effort, and persistence puts neuroplasticity to work by shaping their minds in a positive way! This even works for grown adults. Anyone can retrain their brain for positivity. You just have to be willing to do the hard work!
Consider the following definitions:
practice: v. to teach or train through repeated action; doing it over and over again.
effort: v. the use of physical or mental energy, the act or result of trying to do something.
persistence: v. firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
How to make teaching Growth Mindset a priority in your classroom?
Adopt a Curriculum!
Have conversations with your district leaders. Share your thoughts and do some brainstorming as a team. There are VERY affordable curriculums out there that will supply you with the materials needed to do this. One I highly recommend is call Big Life. They have small units of study that can be used in your classroom and/or at home.
Reasons I recommend Big Life:
Home/School Connection – We have no idea where schools will end up this year. If we do end up teaching remotely, Big Life has so many options for parents to enjoy with their kids. The lessons are mapped out well and will give you options for learning at home!
Affordable – You can’t beat the price. They offer so many free options as well! I mean, you can’t beat FREE, right?!
Use this bulleted list and create your own curriculum!
- I can dream big
- I can be positive
- I can be grateful
- I believe in myself
- I can be mindful.
- My effort can be the key to my learning.
- I can and will take action
- I learn each time I fail
- I can make a difference
Put it to use!
READ UP! Learn all you can about having a growth mindset while you are still relaxing over the summer. You will not regret taking the time to learn more about it. There are tons of great videos and information out there. When you can live out having a Growth Mindset…everyone benefits! You will be the perfect model for you students!
EDUCATE FAMILIES! Teach your families and provide tools for them to share with their kids at home. Big Life offers so many free opportunities for families to learn about have a Growth Mindset. My own kids LOVE their Podcast. They have fun characters that learn to have a Growth Mindset throughout their adventures and discoveries. They also have Free Printables for families!
MAKE IT A PRIORITY! Let’s face it…the kids are coming to school this year knowing less than ever before! You are going to be teaching content that typically would have been taught the year prior. District leaders are stressed with the unknowns, you are stressed with the amount of work it will take to get these kids caught up…BUT CAN WE JUST STOP TO ASK ONE QUESTION???
What is really more important? The lack of knowing math facts or lower reading levels? Or our students mental health?
If this was your child, would you rather schools scurry to get the kids back on track academically? Or work on teaching them to persist, put for effort, and have a positive mindset?
I guarantee that if we focused on having a Growth Mindset, the academics will come. We just need to get our priorities straight.
And what better time than now?
Comment below if you have any questions about Growth Mindset. I’d love to know what you want to know more about!
Enjoy Being Their Difference!
