Why is Mindset Important?
What is the Growth Mindset?
The Growth Mindset is a mindset in which, “people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment” (Dweck, 2016). Furthermore, a person with a Growth Mindset, “thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities” (Popova, 2020).
My Own Fixed Mindset Story
What is the Fixed Mindset?
The Fixed Mindset is a mindset in which the person, “assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled” (Popova, 2020).
Fixed Mindset in Economics Part 1
How Do I Overcome the Fixed Mindset?
Fixed Mindset in Economics Part 2
Failure Doesn’t Exist?
There are at least four causes of cheating that will be considered in here. Before I start, I need to make it clear that I don’t believe that we can never abolish cheating. Why? That brings me to reason number one. If we want to stop a person from cheating, we have to change their moral and ethical views regarding what cheating is. If a person’s moral compass tells them that cheating is ok, then they will cheat. Second, people are more likely to cheat when they are under pressure. In the clip above, Kobe points out that there is no such thing as failure. Philosophically I understand it, but practically, I don’t. The world labels things as successes or failures. The pressure on people to succeed is great; as a result, they cheat. My class is easy, but it is a requirement for graduation. As a result, some people cheat when they don’t even have to because they are concerned about graduating.
Third, cheating is easy when you feel like you won’t need or use the information that you are cheating on. If you feel that you will use the information, you will be less likely to cheat, because you want to know the valuable information. Finally, laziness. Let’s face it, many students (myself included) are lazy. If there is an opportunity to get the benefit of work, without doing the actual work…many people would do that.
The Power of Yet
The “Power of Yet” has to address reasons two through four regarding cheating (the first reason has to be addressed by the person who is cheating, and we know that you can’t legislate morality, it has to start in the heart/mind). The classroom has to be set up to allow “yet” to function. Allowing “yet” to function means incorporating the ideas that we will discuss in a little bit.
How Can I Become More Resilient/ Gritty?
How Will I Implement this in My CSLE Classes?
I just modeled it. We will read a small PDF summarizing the Growth and Fixed mindsets. From here, we will have a Socratic Seminar regarding the mindsets. The students will then make a Google sites page that has seven of the ten elements that I just modeled, or seven elements that are similar. Just like I created all videos and infographics (with the exception of Resilience), I will expect the students to do the same. I would like to include an interview piece with the assignment. I will need to experiment with 2 different classes to see which approach works best.
Now let’s take a look at the philosophical thought process that I have to have in order to implement the growth mindset in the CSLE classroom.
As a teacher, the growth mindset starts with me. I have to make the environment in my classroom conducive to allowing a growth mindset. My classroom has to be a place where students trust and believe that I have their best interest at heart. I believe that the foundation for the growth mindset classroom is trust. I know this from experience, because as a student, I don’t trust the educational establishment.
Students have to know that I want them to be successful academically. In specific, I have to allow students to have multiple opportunities to turn in assignments. I have to allow for students to revise their work. Finally, I have to make sure that the instructions for my assignments are given in a way that is understandable for students. The growth mindset classroom will mean that students have multiple opportunities to show what they have learned, so the “term paper, mid-term, and final” method for grading is out.
If you are unfamiliar about what CSLE is or what it means, and you want more information about my views on it, click >>>here<<<.
How Will I Implement this in My Own Learning?
Have you seen my innovation proposal? Working on the proposal project truly tested my mindset. I learned that I have to trust the process and be willing to learn while it is taking place. The professors in the program seem to be growth minded educators, so I must be concerned with the process. Finally, I need to make sure that I am setting realistic goals, learning from my mistakes, and understanding my own strengths and weaknesses. Doing these items will make me resilient. I can use this resilience if a setback arises, it will allow me to be able to bounce back.
Take a moment and look at some other important areas of the website.
Click >>>here<< to see an example of a UBD Design Template.
Click >>>here<<< to see my Learning Philosophy.
Click >>>here<<< to see how I align outcomes.
My Final Thoughts on Growth Mindset & Grit Regarding Grades
There is a certain segment of the population that will never stop worrying about their grades. Can you tell me a place in academia where we reward effort? When it comes to grades There’s a group of people who always want results. I am struggling with the placement of the growth mindset. Why? Simply put even though it sounds good as a teacher, as a student I realize that grades matter. As a result, it is tough to be concerned about the “power of yet” or feed-forward. What I’m really concerned with is the grade. Now that I have something at stake in this master’s program, (I can’t get a grade lower than a “B”), you better believe that I don’t want to hear about “yet”. The fact of the matter is I’m results-driven because I have a raise that is depending on this. Funny story regarding growth mindset and grit. I was last in school around 2002. The reason why I did not pursue a master’s degree sooner is because of my undergrad GPA. Although the growth mindset and grit say that grades don’t matter, and I need to trust the process, that is not true. In order to get into a program, you have to have a certain GPA and in most places you have to have a certain GMAT score or GRE score to get in the program. This is polar opposite of what is taught by the growth mindset. When something is at stake, the reality is there needs to be results and not philosophy. With that I can empathize with my students.
Experience is The Best Teacher
For over 25 years, I have been working with incredible teachers. Many of these teachers mentored me, shared ideas, and inspired me to create. I spent along time working in a department where we would actually compete to see who could make the best lesson. I am currently in a group that shares lessons. What they don’t know, is I am silently competing with them trying to make my lessons better than theirs. The the most important teachers are the thousands of students that I have learned from. These are the true references.
And then…
References
The “Mindset” Mindset. (2021, January 25). Retrieved from http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/mindset/
Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books.
Dweck, C. (2020, December 02). Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset’ (Opinion). Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html
Dweck, C. (2016, January 11). Recognizing and Overcoming False Growth Mindset. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/recognizing-overcoming-false-growth-mindset-carol-dweck
Glenn Garner March 29, and Glenn Garner. “Serena Williams Admits That Marriage with Husband Alexis Ohanian ‘Is Not Bliss’ Without Work.” PEOPLE.com, 29 Mar. 2021, people.com/sports/serena-williams-says-marriage-with-alexis-ohanian-is-not-bliss-without-work/.
The Growth Mindset. (2014, August 19). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/wh0OS4MrN3E
Growth Mindset – Definition of what it is? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.renaissance.com/edwords/growth-mindset/
Moore, C. S. (2018, November 07). Five Ways to Teach Students to Be Learning Centered, Too – Faculty Focus: Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/five-ways-to-teach-students-to-be-learning-centered-too/
Popova, M. (2020, February 2). Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives. brainpickings.org. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/#:~:text=A%20%E2%80%9Cfixed%20mindset%E2%80%9D%20assumes%20that,striving%20for%20success%20and%20avoiding
“Resilience Infographic.jpg.” Campus Health, health.arizona.edu/file/1119
RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. (2010, April 01). Retrieved from https://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc?list=PLOs0lcCMEHfKWAfRRmVNhb0jEMBz2i2a_
The Journey 