When I taught elementary school, I used to play the following video for my students and would talk with them about making choices that will help form them into who they want to be (Your Motivation, 2022). We would tie this into our small-scale attempt at a growth mindset. Many teachers make individual attempts to foster a growth mindset within their classroom, but our schools are not designed in a way that fosters a growth mindset.

In a world where computers can do your homework and media depicts ways you can “get rich quick,” it can be a challenge for students to see a reason to focus on their studies. If we do not see value in growth, we are likely not going to pursue it. Carol Dweck, a leading researcher in mindset, explains that growth mindset impacts how individuals deal with obstacles, and I will likely spend a lot of time reviewing her works as I continue to work on my project (Stanford Alumni, 2014). Dweck’s explanation of growth mindset allows me to see that this skill transfers from the classroom to relationships, work, emergencies, and general problem solving.

As wonderful as technology is, it does take away opportunities to grow as a problem solver, so it is up to educators to train students to productively problem solve with a growth mindset.

Growth mindset seems to be a fairly mainstream phrase, but it does not seem to be consistently supported by many of our mainstream teaching practices and school designs. In my project, I plan to explore how education systems can alter their design to encourage a growth mindset as students progress from unit to unit and grade to grade. I understand that there are schools that have worked to make school wide initiatives related to growth mindset, but I believe there is still more that can be done (Collins, 2023).

Many students see school as a place they have to go until they graduate and can start the life we want. I believe by fostering a sense of growth mindset in school can help students build the lives they want now.

References:

Collins, B. (2023, August 7). A Schoolwide Approach to Fostering a Growth Mindset. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/cultivating-growth-mindset-schoolwide/

Stanford Alumni (Director). (2014, October 9). Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ

Your Motivation (Director). (2022, February 20). Michelle Obama | WHO ARE YOU GONNA BE? | Your Motivation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnFH8T3d0g4