Fostering Growth Mindsets

Throwback Mixer

1. Introduce Yourself 2. Where did you go to

elementary school?3. Complete this sentence: If

you really knew what I was like in elementary school, you would know that…

Seminar GoalsWe will:Explore how growth and fixed mindsets impacts learning and personal growth.

Practice identifying growth and fixed mindset “self-talk”.

Understand the kinds of praise that fosters a growth mindset.

Tonight’s FlowBIG IDEAS of Growth vs. Fixed Mindset

Practice Recognizing Mindset Self-Talk

Discuss Ways to Shift Mindsets

The Power and Pitfalls of Giving Praise

A Few Things to Try at Home

A Few BIG IDEAS on “Mindset”

Mindsets are the assumptions and expectations we have for ourselves and others. These attitudes guide our behavior and influence our responses to daily events. (Robert Brooks)

Success is not determined by innate talents and intellect. Rather, success depends upon mindset – the degree to which we believe we have the capacity to cultivate our intelligence and grow our abilities. (Carol Dweck)

• The brain transfers information through connections of neurons.

• When you try new things that are really hard, the brain makes new connections (through dendrites) to transfer information better and faster.

• Your brain is like a muscle. It grows through effort and challenging exercise.

Fixed and Growth Mindset(handout)

Fixed MindsetStudents who think this way tend to:Care a lot about whether people think they are smart

or not smart;Avoid learning challenges where they might make

mistakes;Try to hide mistakes rather than trying to correct

them;Believe that if they have the ability, they shouldn’t

have to try hard;Not deal well with frustration and setbacks,

sometimes giving up or cheating.

Growth MindsetStudents with the growth belief system

tend to:Care about and invest themselves in

learning;Believe that effort is a positive thing,

causing their intelligence to grow;Try hard in the face of frustration and

failure;Look for new learning strategies.

Effort

Fixed MindsetGrowth Mindset

The use of physical or mental energy to do

something

Practice Recognizing Mindset Self-Talk

“OK, so I hear some ‘fixed’ mindset self-

talk, what do I do about it?”

“Practice mindset shifting through

dialogue!”

Mindset Shifting Practice

Select 2-3 statements to discuss how you might shift the self-talk.

Either discuss what you might say, or do a little “role-playing” (just for fun).

The Power and Pitfalls of Praise

•The impact of praise is closely linked to how student view intellectual ability.

•The way adults praise children’s successes and failures has a direct impact on the mindset children develop.

-Carol Dweck(NY Study of 400 5th Graders)

The Power and Pitfalls of Praise

What to praise:

•Specific effort•Persistent struggle •Use of strategies•Taking on difficult and/or complex tasks•Learning something new •Improving on something

Praise Process, Not Just Intellect

The Power and Pitfalls of Praise

Let’s Practice!

Traffic Light Responses

Red – Danger *Yellow – Be Careful

*Green – On Target

*

Praise Process, Not Just Intellect

“You must be smart at these kind of math problems. This was easy for me too when I was your age.”

“I knew you would get it, I told you that it

would be easy for you if you just tried a little more.”

“Nice Job! I know it was a long, challenging assignment, but you stuck to it and got it done.”

“You really studied for your spelling test, I told you that you would get a perfect score.”

“I like the way you looked at other similar math problems you’ve done to finally figure out this challenging one.”

“I enjoyed reading this paragraph you

wrote. I can see the self-editing you did through your erased corrections.”

“100% again on your quiz, that’s great. What strategies are working best to help you remember the information?”

A Few Parenting Tips for Fostering the Growth Mindset

(on handout)

What else can I do?

1. Help your child reconnect with a time when they learned something new that was a stretch or a challenge.

2. Help your child get curious about mistakes.

3. Help your child learn to hear their own “fixed mindset voice”.

4. Help you child talk back to negative self-talk with a “growth mindset voice”.

5. Model growth-mindset at the table.

6. Avoid labels and give growth-mindset praise.

7. Get curious about your child’s work and thinking through using open-ended questioning.

and…

Have Some Go-To Mindset Slogans

“Practice makes permanent.”“A problem is a chance for you to do your

best.”“OK, we’re recognized the problem…that’s

the first step to solving it.”“Do what you can, with what you have.”“So here’s the challenge, let’s find the

opportunity.”

Do you have any? Call them out…

Summarizing BIG IDEASFixed-mindset thinking results in:a false sense of superiority, undermined by a

deep sense of self-doubta fear of failure; refusal to take risksa feeling that failure permanently defines you

as a loserthe belief that only untalented, ungifted

people have to work for success; effort somehow reduces you

a desire to blame others or outside circumstances when things don’t go your way

Summarizing BIG IDEASGrowth-mindset thinking results in:• a love for learning and self-improvement• a desire to be challenged• a willingness to work for positive results• a belief that you can control the

outcomes in your life with effort and practice

• the ability to learn from mistakes and failures

• emotional resilience

The surest path to high self- efficacy and self-esteem for

all learners is to continuously be successful at learning

tasks they perceived would be

difficult! Each time we “steal a student’s struggle”,

we steal the opportunity for an esteem

building experience to take place.

-Dr.Sylvia Rimm, Clinical Psychologist

Thank You