Growth Mindset

Our world is constantly changing around us. It does not matter what our job is, where we live, who we live with, or any other factor, we all deal with change in our lives. Some change is good and some may be challenging, but how we look at it will determine how it affects our lives.

My growth mindset plan will focus on how I can evaluate and grow my own growth mindset as well as how I can assist the teachers I work with daily to do the same.

What is Growth Mindset?

Growth Mindset is the belief that your talent comes from your effort and that anyone can be good at anything if you put the work into it (Jeffrey, 2016). With a growth mindset, you work to continually improve yourself. The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset where you simply believe that what you have for talent, knowledge, determination, etc. is all that you’ll ever have.

Why is Growth Mindset Important?

Dweck (2006) tells us that her research shows that it is the view that we adopt for ourselves will profoundly affect the way that we lead our lives. While my focus with this growth mindset may be on educators and how they can make sure they have a growth mindset, it is just as critical to have a growth mindset in all areas of our lives.

As an educator, our jobs change on a regular basis. The resources available change faster than we may be able to learn them, our students change in ways that we have to change our teaching to reach them, and the expectations on us are continually growing. There will be times that we feel like we can’t, or that it’s not possible, however those are thoughts of a fixed mindset, not that of a growth mindset. In order for us to be able to provide the environment and education our students need, we must make sure that we keep a growth mindset to continually improve and grow with the changes around us.

How can we develop our mindset?

Wanting to have a growth mindset is not enough to actually make it happen. Developing and maintaining a growth mindset is a process that is continual and self-reflective. To help with that process, Jeffrey (2016) explains a 4-step process to change your mindset.

Learn to hear your fixed mindset "voice"

Your inner voice is powerful and learning how to truly hear it will assist you with developing a growth mindset. When you fail you may hear yourself with words of criticism instead of encouragement. Your inner fixed mindset voice may also blame others instead of taking responsibility. Learn to recognize that fixed mindset inner voice and work to change it to a growth mindset voice.

Recognize that you have a choice

When you hear that fixed mindset inner voice, understand that you are not stuck with that voice only. Just because that is the initial voice that you hear, does not mean that is the voice you have to believe.

Talk back with a growth mindset voice

When you hear that fixed mindset voice, respond with a growth mindset voice. Instead of thinking you are a failure, remind yourself that everyone faces struggles. When you make a mistake, instead of blaming that mistake on something else, look at what caused the mistake and ways you can improve to fix it.

Take the growth mindset action

Start looking for ways to improve instead of excuses on why something didn't go the way you had hoped. Take on new challenges, evaluate your mistakes, keep working towards the goal, and continually adjust and reflect on your mindset.

To assist us with developing our growth mindset, Jeffrey (2016) provides a list of questions to adopt along the way.
-What can I learn from this?
-What steps can I take to help me succeed?
-Do I know the outcome or goal I’m after?
-What information can I gather? And from where?
-Where can I get constructive feedback?
-If I had a plan to be successful at [blank], what might it look like?
-When will I follow through on my plan?
-Where will I follow through on my plan?
-How will I follow through on my plan?
-What did I learn today?
-What mistake did I make that taught me something?
-Is my current learning strategy working? If not, how can I change it?
-What did I try hard at today?
-What habits must I develop to continue the gains I’ve achieved?

How I can help my learners develop a growth mindset

I think the best way to help my learners develop a growth mindset is to model it. To model a growth mindset to your learners you have to be honest and transparent. I believe that many learners (regardless of age) may feel some type of shame or embarrassment if they fail, therefore it leads to lack of trying and a fixed mindset. In order to model a growth mindset you have to reveal to your learners the struggles and failures you have faced yourself. You have to show them that no one is perfect and that it is not only OK to realize that, but expected if you will ever grow. In my role as our District Technology Integration Specialist, I make sure to show my teachers my struggles and failures. I actually like when something goes wrong in a presentation so I can show them how to navigate the failure and to show them that it happens to everyone. It is important that we remember that just because we didn't succeed "yet" does not mean that we will not succeed at all. A growth mindset will allow us to keep trying and learning from our mistakes.

I think it is important to avoid having growth mindset become a fad and to do that we may just start with not over-using the term “growth mindset”. How many times has something been pushed down our throat to the point that just the words make us shut down and not want to attempt it? If we approach growth mindset as more of a way of thinking instead of a term I think it will be better received and would avoid turning into a fad. To me, fads are something that takes the world by storm, everyone does it or likes it, and then it loses its luster. Growth mindset is a change in our thought process and if we can take the time to make the changes in the right way it will have a lasting effect. It makes me think of a diet vs. a lifestyle change. If I cut out some things in my life slowly, or add positive things slowly, then over time it becomes part of my daily routine and I’m more likely to stick with it. But, if I jump on some diet program and try to do it all at once to see fast results, I’m more likely to quit and go back to my old ways. We need to approach growth mindset as a slow process to change instead of a quick fix.

My own growth mindset reflections

Prior to being able to assist my teachers in shifting their mindset to a growth mindset, I must evaluate my own mindset.

While I believe that technology integration is a key component to the success of our students and our teachers, I find myself having a fixed mindset inner voice at times on what I can do to help. I realize that if I do not have a growth mindset completely, I cannot model that with my teachers. I have started to, and will continue to, evaluate my mindset and shift focus from my fixed mindset voice to my growth mindset voice.

I have elaborated more on my need for my own growth mindset in this blog post. One year later, I have created another reflection in this blog post.

References:

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success (Ballantine Books trade pbk. ed). Ballantine Books.

Jeffrey, S. (2016, December 26). Change your fixed mindset into a growth mindset [complete guide]. Scott Jeffrey. https://scottjeffrey.com/change-your-fixed-mindset/