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Revisiting the growth mindset 

Developing a Growth Mindset Plan & Final Compilation

For the last part of CSLE course 5313 we were asked to revisit our growth mindset and reflect on my learning philosophy, grit, my student’s mindset, as well as my own growth mindset. Initially, I believed that adopting a growth mindset at all times would be challenging. If we step back and look at it, truly valuable endeavors rarely are. It's tempting to settle for a superficial growth mindset, which is also considered to be a “false growth mindset”. Offering sporadic praise, but genuine transformation requires more. You have to be determined to stay in a growth mindset at all times, the same with if you have grit. We can’t just pick and choose when to have grit or be in a growth mindset.

I have always had what is called a learner's mindset. Looking at every experience or situation as an opportunity for me to learn something and grow. As I self-reflect more, I feel I have been this way since the time I could read. I always had my nose stuck in a book, craving as much information as my brain could soak up. When I first started the Master of Education in applied digital learning program I was introduced to the growth mindset. I felt like I had a growth mindset the majority of the time. Now looking back the learner's mindset and a growth mindset is not necessarily the same thing. Looking back at my life I have done a lot of things. I was in band, and dance growing up. Then I went through dental hygiene school and became an RDH where I practiced for over 10 years. Moving on to teaching dental hygiene at Lamar Institute of Technology. I then went back to school and got my second degree, then continued and got my teaching certification. This led me to teaching at an elementary school, and here I am in the master's program looking to transition out of the classroom. As I sit back and reflect on all of this, was it me just giving up or was it all just something I wasn’t really passionate about? Is it that I don’t have what they call grit? According to Duckworth “grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals” (Duckworth, 2019). I have found that self-reflection can be a valuable tool. Looking back, my mom made me sign up for band and picked my instruments. She made me practice an hour every day when I got home and paid for private lessons every week. In her defense I became great and won countless medals and performances. But it was not something I was passionate about; she was the one who wanted it and was passionate about it. The same with dance classes, she signed me up. I really didn’t have a say until I got older, and she asked me if I wanted to continue with the classes. This is where I had told her no, and she let me quit dance class. So, if everything I have done so far has been me searching to find what I was truly passionate about, it seems that my true passion would be learning. Gaining more knowledge at every turn in life. 

The growth mindset underscores the significance of effort and persistence rather than fixed ideas of intelligence or talent (Duckworth et al., 2007). Educators who foster a growth mindset can guide students to prioritize the learning process over mere grades, thus alleviating anxiety and fostering intrinsic motivation (Dweck, 2006). Grit, which is as I mentioned above, the passion and perseverance for long-term objectives, enhances the growth mindset by stressing the need for continuous effort and resilience to achieve success (Duckworth, 2016). By incorporating activities that develop grit, we encourage students to endure challenges and learn from failures (Duckworth, 2016). In my class and within my innovation plan I aim to create projects with progressive challenges, enabling students to relish the triumph of surmounting hurdles. The growth mindset will instill the belief in the potential for improvement, while grit will provide the enduring drive necessary for my students to realize their potential.

Over these last 16 weeks I have come to realize when children are provided with space by creating significant learning environments that include freedom of choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning to explore their own identities, they can discover what excites them, what angers them, and what sparks their curiosity. Therefore, finding their true passions at an early age. Instead of being like me, who is now in her 40’s, just now figuring things out. Creating significant learning environments requires learners to stay positive amidst challenges and have self-belief. Developing a growth mindset opens up the possibility to learn anything in authentic contexts, acknowledging that learning has no bounds and intelligence is malleable. The growth mindset attributes learning to effort rather than innate ability, dispelling the notion of "can't" and reinforcing that perseverance and diligence foster success. This is why I believe that a learner's mindset is far more potent than merely fostering growth and resilience. Embracing a learner's mindset has enabled me not just to understand the world around me, but also to gain insight into my own self.

The growth mindset also values the concept of failing forward. In environments where 21st-century learning takes place authentically, failure is inevitable and not to be feared. It is a chance for learning and growth, as overcoming challenges facilitates student development. The pace of learning varies among students, and that's acceptable; success is a journey, and not all students have reached their destination "yet." 

Since starting this program, I made a poster that says,

The Power of Yet

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t do this.”

“I don’t understand.”

 

Take a deep breath and remember the power of Yet! 

As in….

“I don’t know… yet.”

“I can’t do this…. Yet.”

“I don’t understand… yet.”

This is proudly displayed on the wall so that as soon as you walk into my classroom it is the first thing that you see. I also made a smaller version and had all the students put it in their desk folders for a constant reminder of embracing the power of “yet”.

In my classroom, I embody the growth mindset through my language and behavior, and by setting an example for my students to follow by modeling the growth mindset daily in all of my actions and words. Embracing a growth mindset is about adopting a consistent lifestyle and attitude, not just a temporary trend. To significantly influence the growth mindset, it's crucial to consider factors like self-efficacy, motivation, social support, and the learning environment (Dweck, 2006; Yeager & Dweck, 2012). These elements interact with mindset beliefs and can promote or impede the development of a growth mindset. For effective implementation, it's crucial to integrate the growth mindset correctly. I arrange my classroom to reflect this mindset with inspirational posters and collaborative seating arrangements, and I teach about the growth mindset using discussions. It's vital to seize moments that highlight the growth mindset, allowing teachers to aid students in altering their perspectives. Cultivating a growth mindset involves showing resilience, welcoming challenges, and viewing failures as opportunities for learning and development (Dweck, 2006). As a teacher I can encourage my students to develop a growth mindset by sharing personal stories of my own and how I have overcome difficulties and highlighting the concept of "not yet" (Growth Mindset Works, n.d.). Rather than merely praising intelligence, the word "yet" should be used frequently. For instance, saying, "You haven't grasped this concept yet, but I notice your dedication" (Dweck, 2006), promotes the notion that learning is an ongoing journey with ample opportunity for improvement. This is why I thought it was so important for me to make that poster for daily reminders not only to my students but to myself as well on how powerful yet can be. Moreover, we are integrating language that reflects a growth mindset into our daily interactions with students. For example, teachers might say, "I observe you've been tackling many math problems recently. Your practice is leading to progress!" instead of "You're naturally good at math."

I plan to use my Innovation plan to incorporate blended learning in my classroom, as well as what I have learned when researching a new culture of learning that embraces a CSLE environment. Throughout these few weeks I have gained a lot of new tools I can use while trying to implement my plan. I will use the 3-column chart during the initial stages of implementation. Showcasing a broader spectrum of what I want to happen in the classroom with each unit working with the end in mind. This will help when I am presenting it to administration and other colleagues for training purposes and for collaboration. I will then move on to the uBd design template. This will be extremely useful when I have a lesson in mind, and I can work backwards with extreme detail to ensure that I can create those CSLE environments by incorporating blended learning into the lessons. All of these things will help influence my innovation plan. This breakdown will help ensure that I don’t miss things and gives me a way to ensure students are able to self reflect as well. I will incorporate formative assessments, self-reflections, and project-based learning to foster a comprehensive understanding of student learning. Grit is vital in this approach. Students with grit tend to persist through difficult tasks, regardless of whether they achieve high grades at first. A growth mindset enables students to view grade setbacks as chances for improvement, while grit drives them to continue striving amidst academic obstacles. By nurturing a culture of continuous learning and intellectual curiosity, educators can inspire students to embrace learning with eagerness and an open mind (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). 

By extending my focus beyond the growth mindset alone, I can aid students in cultivating metacognitive skills through consistent self-reflection exercises. I can help them work towards changing feedback into feedforward. A growth mindset can reshape students' reception of feedback, encouraging them to see it as constructive advice for enhancement rather than a critique of their capabilities. Moreover, fostering a growth mindset can cultivate academic integrity and deter cheating by highlighting the importance of diligence and ethical behavior in attaining success. I aim to establish learning environments grounded in COVA principles (Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authenticity), which will enhance student engagement and intrinsic motivation, thereby diminishing the inclination to cheat. As a teacher I will motivate them to contemplate their learning experiences, pinpoint areas for enhancement, and establish attainable goals for advancement. This iterative process of reflection, goal setting, and dedication nurtures a growth mindset by enabling students to view themselves as proactive agents in their educational journey, paving the way for them to become lifelong learners.

References

Duckworth, A. (2019). Grit. Vermilion. 

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.

Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences, revised and updated an integrated approach to designing college courses. Jossey-Bass.

Grit: The power of passion and perseverance: Angela Lee Duckworth. YouTube. (2013a, May 9). https://youtu.be/H14bBuluwB8 

Growth Mindset Works. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.growthmindset.org/]

The power of believing that you can improve: Carol Dweck: TED. YouTube. (2014, December 17). https://youtu.be/_X0mgOOSpLU 

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of Constant Change. CreateSpace?

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (expanded second ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision an Curriculum Development.

Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314.