Tag Archives: Mindsets
Putting Growth back into Growth Mindset!
A popular catchphrase associated with the Growth Mindset is: Mistakes are proof you’re trying. It’s easy to see why social media has latched onto this saying. There are some good messages embedded in it. We certainly want students to try, and we want them to put in the effort. And by associating mistakes with trying, […]
Growth Mindset and Academic results are not separate goals
Last week, the Sydney Morning Herald ran a story entitled “[1]Reduce HSC pressure in favour of a ‘growth mindset’, NSW tells David Gonski”. While the article raises some interesting points, the headline should not be misinterpreted to mean that a Growth Mindset is more important than academic results. A Growth Mindset is not an alternative […]
Do your students “get” learning?
Students with a Fixed Mindset don’t really “get” learning. From their perspective, school isn’t about learning, it’s about discovering what they can do. These students come to class wondering whether they have the abilities required to be successful. The answer is predetermined: they are simply waiting to find out. For students with a Fixed Mindset, […]
A Growth Mindset gives you courage, not capacity
Introducing the Learning Pit 2.0 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a Growth Mindset is not growth. A Growth Mindset is important because it is the foundation upon which growth is achieved. It is the invitation to grow. It encourages you to engage your Habits of Mind in the process of Virtuous […]
Good. Better. Best. Better.
Language matters. One of the critical lessons from research into Mindsets is that what teachers say and how they say it matters. Language acts as a Mindset Mover. The hidden and unintended messages in our language can push students along the [1]Mindset Continuum, creating either a more Fixed or Growth Mindset. So, as teachers, we […]
2018: A Year of Action. A Year of Growth!
The past few years have seen an extraordinary level of interest in Growth Mindsets. Educators around the world have become increasingly aware of the importance of a Growth Mindset to student performance. Consequently, there has been enormous interest in classroom practices that develop Growth Mindsets in students. Unfortunately, in the rush to implement these ideas, […]
This is NOT a Growth Mindset
Usually, I try to make my blogs thoughtful and considered. I spend quite a bit of time crafting them, reflecting on them and clarifying my message. (Hopefully, you’ve noticed and appreciated that!) But not today! Today, I’m fed up. I’m frustrated. And I’m over it! Today, I want to take aim at the “wisdom of […]
How Growth Mindsets become “last year’s initiative” – A cautionary tale
As the 2020 school year starts, I find myself reflecting on the past few years and asking why the Growth Mindset has become “last year’s initiative”. It’s seems like only a few years ago that you couldn’t do anything in education without hearing about the Growth Mindset. Conferences weren’t complete if the keynote speakers didn’t […]
Mistakes – A Free E-book About Mistakes And How To Use Them
Educators have always been interested in mistakes. However, the current interest in Mindsets has generated a new wave of interest in mistakes, their role in learning and how they relate to a student’s Mindset. Should we praise mistakes? Encourage mistakes? Avoid them? How do we correct mistakes? In short, what is all this interest in […]
The three ideas every educator needs to understand. (And the one book that brings them all together!)
I believe there are three key ideas every educator needs to understand if they are going to help students thrive in the 21st century. Not that all of teaching and learning can be distilled into three ideas; there’s much more. But without these three ideas, I believe your teaching practice – and, therefore, your students’ […]
