Monday, August 29, 2016

Mindset Matters

When MVCSD staff met on August 18th we were introduced to the concept of “mindset”. Founder of Train Ugly, Trevor Ragan, spoke about a fixed vs. growth mindset. Today, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the idea of "mindset" and how parents and families can use the idea of a growth mindset at home.

According to Carol Dweck, author of Mindset- The New Psychology of Success, mindset is the idea that brains and talent without hard work do not bring success. In fact, praising others for their intelligence does not foster work ethic, self-esteem, and accomplishment. Instead, praising only intelligence can set students up to put in little effort, steer clear of difficult tasks, and it creates fear of failure. Dweck’s research suggests that teachers and caregivers need to praise hard work and perseverance over intelligence in order to foster a growth mindset in learners.

Carol Dweck’s research has found that students with a fixed mindset believe that as a result of their natural ability, everything should come easily to them. In a research article published in 2010, Dweck writes that setbacks can cause fixed mindset students to become defensive and discouraged. On the flip side, students with a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities to grow and get better.

Creating a culture of growth mindset can happen in the home just as easily as it does in the classroom. As a parent, do you ever get stuck and find yourself asking your child the same questions day after day?

“How was your day?”
“Do you have any homework?”
“Who did you play with at recess?”
“What did you learn today?”

Let’s try some new questions on for size:


Now that you have an idea of what questions to ask, let’s talk about praise. According to Mary Cay Ricci, author of Mindsets in the Classroom, one way that parents can really help their children is by carefully choosing the words that are used when they praise them. Try to praise your child’s effort rather than accomplishment. Below are a few examples of what that sounds like:

Do Not Say
Do Say
You are really athletic!
You really worked hard and pay attention when you are on the field!
You are so smart!
You work hard in school and it shows!
Your drawing is wonderful; you are my little artist!
I can see you have been practicing your drawing; what a great improvement!
You always get good grades; that makes me happy!
When you put forth effort, it really shows in your grades. You should be so proud of yourself. We are proud of you!
You are a great athlete. You could be the next Michael Phelps.
Keep practicing, and you will see great results!
(Adapted from Mindsets in the Classroom)


Having a growth mindset takes time and practice. For more information on mindset, below you will find additional resources:

Websites: 

Videos:

  • The Power of Believe- Mindset and Success https://youtu.be/pN34FNbOKXc
  • Ned Neuron: https://youtu.be/g7FdMi03CzIlist=PLKKNIP_pxNuUiiButng92rvaSCKPfLpwv


Books:
  • The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
  • Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak (children’s book)
  • The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (children’s book)
  • The girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein (children’s book)



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