Introduction to the Growth Mindset

Jobs• Most of the jobs that our students will be doing

throughout their lives don’t exist yet.• What they need to thrive:– Critical thinking– Problem solving– Collaboration– Adaptability– Initiative– Analysis– Curiosity– Imagination– Persistence

• How do we nurture these skills in our classrooms?

Talk Partners

• Each person gets a chance• Listen to each other, don’t just wait on your

turn to talk• Don’t ignore your talk partner, it’s rude• Give feedback to your talk partner

Talk Partners

• Come to a consensus on short definitions of the following: Growth Mindset; Fixed Mindset

• Please write these down.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

• With your talk partner and then with your table, fill out the blank chart. No more than 6 words per category and the fewer words the better!– How do people of these differing mindsets deal with

CHALLENGES? – How do they react when an OBSTACLE is placed in

front of them? – What is their view on EFFORT? – How do they deal with CRITISISM? – How do they feel about the SUCCESS OF OTHERS?

Self Reflection

• Have you ever had a bad day teaching?• Have you ever had a class that was hard to

deal with?• Have your students ever been hard to

motivate?• What did you do?• How hard was it on you?

Talk Partners

• Are you a Growth Mindset or a Fixed Mindset person?

• Where do you think most of our students are?

Talk Partners

•What’s missing in your students to achieve a Growth Mindset Classroom?

Angela Lee Duckworth 6:12

What’s Missing?

• Productive Struggle• “Grit”• Productive Persistence• Productive Perseverance • Failure with a purpose

How do we teach it?

Change the Culture

• Of your classroom!– Student Mindset• Can’t be afraid to take chances with their thinking• Can’t be afraid to help others• Take responsibility for their own learning

– Ask questions

– Teacher Mindset• Give up some control• Allow yourself to take chances

Keys to a Growth Mindset Classroom

• Classroom organization and procedure (this is NOT a free-for-all!)

• Expectations• Collaboration• Choice• Formative Assessment

Many say “Failure is not an option”, but it is the outcome much of the time. How do you deal with it?

Formative Assessment and Failure

• Students must generate the questions—only then does it have meaning to them– Whose questions are you more interested in, yours or

someone else’s• Praise effort instead of talent• FAILURE is not the problem, it’s how they deal with

failure that stops or enhances learning.• Don’t let them give up!• MORE experimentation and discovery• In the minds of students, when you put a grade on it,

it’s over.

Ramsey Mussallam 6:28

Famous Failures 2:58