Coronado SAFE & Coronado Middle School Partnering Together To Bring You
MINDSET: Because Brains &
Talents Are Not Enough
Coronado SAFE
Partnering with parents and the community
to develop and sustain healthy, responsible youth
Coronado SAFE provides social-emotional support through:
Mindset and Academic Success
Karin Mellina, M.A., M.Ed.,
Assistant Principal at Coronado Middle School
What is the key to success?
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duck
worth_the_key_to_success_grit?language
=en
GRIT:
Definition: courage and resolve; strength of
character
Synonyms: courage, bravery, backbone,
spirit, will, moral fiber, nerve, fortitude,
toughness, determination, tenacity,
perseverance
Fixed Mindset:
• Belief that talent and ability is set
in stone
• Fearful of mistakes
• Reluctant to challenges
• Prefer comfort zone
• Grade focused
• Lack motivation and give up
easily
• “I’m just not good at math”
“I CAN’T”
Growth Mindset:
● Belief that talent and ability can be
developed
● Views mistakes as opportunities
● Resilient
● Believe effort creates success
● Focus on learning not grades
● Look for new learning strategies
● Motivated
“I’LL TRY”
What is Mindset?
You come home from work and your child is sitting on the
couch looking sad and holding a paper. You asked them
what’s wrong. “I had a horrible day today. I got a bad grade on
my project.”
You come home from work and your child greets you excitedly
at the door. “Today, was the best day ever! I got 102 on my
science test!”
Scenario
Our Message
3 things to say:
“You’ve got it”
“You’re doing great.
Keep going”
“Keep trying. You’re
getting there”
● Everyone can learn any subject to the
highest levels
● Mistakes are valuable
● Questions are really important
● Learning is about creativity and
making sense
● Depth is more important than speed
● Learning is about creativity,
connections and making sense
● Class is about learning not performing
Patience
Perseverance
Practice makes
Progress Not Perfection
Mindset &The Science Behind It
Dr. Monique Reynolds, PhD.,
Director of Programs at Coronado SAFE
Neuroplasticity Our brains are dynamic and
adapt constantly based on our
behavior and environment.
Our thought patterns and behavior
habits create roads and
superhighways across our brain.
Innate ability is just a starting point…
How neuroplasticity works
Learning something new creates new
connections between your neurons
Connections that are used remain strong,
those that are unused get pruned away.
With repeated practice, the connections
get more efficient and our new dirt roads
become superhighways.
A Daily Practice
Our children carve SO MANY new
roads every day.
Carving new roads is hard and
usually requires struggle.
Growth Mindset and Stress
For several hours after a stress
response, the brain is rewiring itself to
remember and learn from the
experience.
Teaching kids to handle the small
stressors now will help throughout life
Being good with one type of challenge makes us
better at handling other types of challenges.
What determines if we grow or crumble
from stress?
Severity of the stress?
NOPE
Your Biological Response to Stress
DHEA and Cortisol are adrenal hormones produced
during the stress response.
DHEA to Cortisol ratio = Growth Index
DHEA : Cortisol = High Growth Index
A higher growth index is associated with thriving during and after
a stressful experience.
This is what helps students persist in the face of academic
stress!!
Is your biological response to
stress FIXED?
OF COURSE NOT!!
Be GOOD at Stress
Shifting your mindset actually raises your
growth index
The expectation of growth sends a signal to
your brain and body: Get ready to learn
something, because you can handle this!
Mindset &The Role Parents Can Play
Georgia C. Ferrell
Executive Director at Coronado SAFE
Parents…What Can We Do?
Developing a growth mindset in
yourself and in your kids is a
process that takes time.
Have a growth mindset about
developing a growth mindset!
1. Recognize your own mindset
Be mindful of your own thinking and of the
messages you send with your words and actions.
2. Be A Conscious Role Model
Make mistakes in front of your kids
Have a positive reaction to those mistakes
Openly reflect on what could be learned from the mistake
Show that it's all about learning, not about being right.
3. Praise the process:
Praising kids for being smart
suggests that innate talent
is the reason for success,
while focusing on the
process helps them see
how their effort leads to
success.
4. Model learning from failure:
When parents talk
positively about making
mistakes, kids start to
think of mistakes as a
natural part of the learning
process.
Parents, We Don’t Have To Fix It
“You were robbed of that award.”
Places blame on others. Do you want them to
grow up blaming others for their deficiencies?
“You have the ability, you can win next time.”
Dangerous message. Does ability automatically
take you where you want to go?
Parents, We Don’t Have To Fix It
“You didn’t win, but I thought you were the best.”
This is basically insincere. If they were the best,
they would have won, you know it and so do they.
This offers them no recipe for how to recover or
improve.
At the dinner table…
• Share the science behind mindset
• Talk about your struggles
• Ask your kids about their struggles
• Praise their progress
• Let it be OK to share failures