Mindset by Carol DweckA PARENT WORKSHOP ADAPTED FOR MONITOR ELEMENTARY BY VICTORIA GROOMER
Where are we headed?
Understand growth vs. fixed mindset Recognize the differences between mindsets Discover the effect on mindset on your student’s academic/life
potential Immediate steps you can take to foster mindset
What is “mindset”?
“Mindset is the multiple assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves
and others. These attitudes guide the way we behave as well our reactions
to daily events. “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way
you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and
whether you accomplish the things you value.” Dweck, 2006
Fixed Mindset
Every situation calls for a confirmation of intelligence, personality, or character. Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected? (Do not want to expose deficiencies) They see what has happened as a direct measure of their competence and worth. Nothing catastrophic has occurred, yet there is a feeling of utter failure and
paralysis. Risk and effort are two things that might reveal your inadequacies and show you
were not up to the task. People with fixed mindset do not believe in EFFORT. EFFORT is a bad thing; it means you’re not smart or talented. If you were, you
wouldn’t need effort.
Responses of the Fixed Mindset:
“I feel like a failure”, “I am a total loser”, “Everyone’s better than me”, “Life is unfair.”How do they cope? Withhold time and effort Find a comfort - eat chocolate! Do nothing Pout Cry What is there to do? I can’t do anything about it.
Growth Mindset
If you believe you can develop yourself, you’re open to accurate information about your current abilities, even if it’s unflattering.
Oriented toward learning, you NEED accurate information about your current abilities in order to learn effectively.
Identify own strengths and weaknesses Can convert life’s setbacks into future successes EFFORT is what makes you smart or talented.
Responses of the Growth Mindset:
“I need to try harder in class”, “Be more careful when …”, and “I wonder if my friend had a bad day, and how can I help?”
How would they cope? Directly. Studying harder Use a different strategy Direct action Find a resolution: “Work things out with my friend.”
Effects of Mindset
Fixed a false sense of superiority, undermined
by self-doubt. a fear of failure and, therefore, a refusal
to take risks. a belief that failure defines you as a loser. a need to prove yourself again and again.
Growth an intrinsic love for learning and self-
improvement. a desire to be challenged. a willingness to work, an understanding that
work yields positive results a belief that you can determine the outcomes
in your life through effort and practice. an openness to learn from mistakes and
failures. emotional resilience
2 types of Mindset
Fixed Growth
Evidence: Feedback
Fixed
People with a fixed mindset were ONLY interested
when the feedback reflected on their ability.
Brain waves showed them paying close attention
when they were told whether their answers were
right or wrong. When presented with information
that could help them learn, there was no sign of
interest. Even when they had gotten an answer
wrong, they were not interested in learning what
the right answer was.
Growth
Brain waves showed they paid close attention
to information that could stretch their
knowledge. Learning was a priority.
Messages About Success
Adult:“You learned that so quickly! You’re so smart!”:Look at that drawing. Is he the next Picasso or what?”“You’re so brilliant, you got an A without even studying.”
Child’s Interpretation:“If I don’t learn something quickly, I’m not smart.”“I shouldn’t draw anything hard or they’ll see I’m no Picasso.”“I’d better quit studying or they won’t think I’m brilliant.”
Change in Math Grades www.brainology.com
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Power of Praise: 2 groups of 5-7th grade students were given tests on an increasingly difficult level. One group was praised for their ability and one group for their effort. As the tests increased in difficulty the students demonstrated the following behaviors:
Ability Rejected challenging task Didn’t want to expose flaws/call talent
into question Less success meant they were deficient Burden of talent was killing enjoyment Performance plummeted, even when
returning to easier problems Lost faith in their ability
Effort 90% wanted challenging tasks Applied more effort Difficulty did not reflect on their intellect Showed consistently better performance Used hard problems to sharpen their skills Had advanced much further in
understanding when returning to easier problems
Rigor: Common Core/UBD and Mindset
UBD/Facets of Understanding: Perspective, Self-Knowledge, Interpretation, Explanation, Application, and Empathy
“Growth mindset students look for themes and underlying principles and are clued in to all the different ways to create learning and take charge of the learning process to make sure it happens…A successful student is one whose primary goal is to expand their knowledge and their ways of thinking and investigating the world. They do not see grades as an end in themselves but as a means to continue to grow.”
*Rigor will require students to struggle and put forth effort. Growth occurs when we struggle and work hard to attain understanding. It is okay for your child to experience rigor and struggle towards growth.”
What Can I do?9 Parenting Actions the Promote the Growth Mindset
Model growth mindset thinking Explain how approach challenges and how you continue to learn from
them Avoid labeling yourself with a fixed mindset: “I’m a terrible cook.” “I always struggled with writing too.”
1. Practice What You Preach
2. Learning for Learning’s Sake…
Instead of asking, “How did you do on the test?”, talk with your child about how they are responding to the curriculum:
“How can you use that strategy next time?” “Is there a way you can make a connection to something else you have been learning to help you understand that concept better?” Talk about learning as an avenue for personal growth, intellectual
challenge, and opportunity rather than for a grade or college acceptance
3. Set Growth Goals
Set goals that are reasonable and of interest to both of you Talent is not a goal that your child can work towards; set goals that
further develop a skill and knowledge.
4. Praise Effort, Practice, and Process
When your child experiences success, talk about the effort and work ethic behind that experience
Praise perseverance and persistence Help your child to focus on the positive habits and choices that led to
the successful experience
5. See Failure As A Growth Tool
Don’t protect your child from failure. This does not boost a child’s self-esteem. It does the opposite.
Rigor is critical to your child’s growth; struggle is when growth occurs. Learning requires effort.
Ask: “What can you learn from this experience?” “What could you do differently?”
6. Provide Honest Feedback
Avoid comments such as, “Just try harder”, or “Believe in yourself.” If your child identifies an area of weakness, make a plan of
improvement together. Do not allow your child to offer ineffective solutions: “I’ll review my notes.” “I’ll ask a friend.” Follow-up with the plan, help your child evaluate it, and refine it if
needed.
7. Point Out Others’ Perseverance
Use your child’s interests to point out people who have been successful in that area by:
Focus Goal-setting Daily Practice Commitment Talk about key people in history/modern-day who failed in their early
efforts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2HD57z4F8E&safe=active
8. Risk-Taking
Accepting risk and, at times, failure is part of being a lifelong learner. Lifelong learners have a growth mindset. Take reasonable risks and encourage your child to do so.
Try something you’ve always wanted to do, and allow your child to do the same.
9. Don’t Forget The “yet”…
The fixed mindset forgets the “yet”; success is expected before the hard work of learning how.
“The fixed mindset does not allow people the luxury of becoming. They have to already be.”
Championship Mentality - always add the “yet” to conversations where your child may be demonstrating a fixed mindset; encourage them to stretch beyond ordinary ability.
#1 ingredient in achievement: the kind of perseverance and resilience produced by the growth mindset
Any questions?