Growth Mindset In Education

Can a students attitude about learning change?  After reading about Growth Mindset and how it is moving through our education system, I believe a students attitude about learning can change.  As teachers, we have to be advocates for our students.  This includes many roles.  It means encouraging them and challenging them when they think they are failing or not meeting their expectations…or yours.  This change in dynamic is taking place in schools more than ever now.  You can see this in the aligning of curriculum to Common Core standards.  It requires that students push themselves harder than ever.  There is now an accountability system that students are being held to, not only by the teachers but by themselves as well.

We have heard throughout life that "you are never too old to learn, or you only stop learning when you are dead."  This is true.  It is always possible to build on intelligence.  It is important to teach students that you can learn from the mistakes you make.  Perfection is so overruled!  It is impossible to live up to perfection…in any one's mind.  Once students stop striving for perfection, and embrace learning from mistakes they are taking the first steps in growth mindset.  This along with taking the humiliation out of failing in school and replacing it with encouragement, positive feedback, and praise will slowly but surely change a students mindset about learning.  This is wonderful and encouraging information.  It is so encouraging to know that we as teachers can definitely make a difference in our students lives.  This should be our goal….and to know that we can encourage those who excel as well as those that don't and change mindsets about learning is exciting.  I will consider it a success to change the mindset of a student who fears failure, dislikes learning and education, to one who enjoys learning and begins to excel in ways he/she never has before.  This is what being a teacher is all about!

~Morgan