What do you THINK?: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

JPTorres Success Academy March 2017

“BELL RINGER”Think about one role you have in your life:

Husband Wife Parent Grandparent Friend Sibling Professional Student

REFLECT.

What do you believe about your ability in this role?

Do you believe you have a “gift” in this area, a natural talent?

Do you believe that you have or can get better in this area if you work hard?

ON A STICKY NOTE (you’ll need 2!)

Think of a time where you felt successful in this role. On a sticky note, answer the following sentence frame:

As a (role) , I have been successful at ________ because _________________________________.

When things get difficult, what do you do? On another sticky note, answer the following sentence frame:

One challenge I have faced is _______; as a result of this difficulty, I ___________________________________.

Sentence Frames / Stems

SHARE: ELBOW PARTNER

As a (role) , I have been successful at ________ because _________________________________.

One challenge I have faced is _______; as a result of this difficulty, I _____________________________.

OBJECTIVESWe will…

Know fixed and growth mindset

Understand how the brain can be trained to think, and how mindset affects perceptions and outcomes

Be able to distinguish between fixed and growth mindset as we reflect on our own

QUIZTake quiz

Tally scores (per column, and then across)

Write your TOTAL on a post-it (write your name somewhere on it)

54J. Serisola

WORD SORT

In small groups of 3-4 (no more than 4 to a group!)

Notice any patterns, similarities, trends - and then sort however your group decides

WORD SORT - ANSWERS

Intelligence is something people are born with that can’t be changed.

Fixed Mindset

You are a certain kind of person, and there is not much that can be done to really change that.

Only a few people will be truly good at sports - you have to be ‘born with it’.

Math is much easier to learn if you are male or come from a culture who values math.

Trying new things is stressful for you and so you avoid it.

Some people are good and kind, and some are not - it’s not often that people change.

You often get angry when you get negative feedback about your performance.

You can learn new things, but you can’t really change how intelligent you are.

You can do things differently, but the important parts of who you are can’t really be changed.

Truly smart people do not need to try so hard.

WORD SORT - ANSWERS

No matter how intelligent you are, you can always be more intelligent.

Growth Mindset

You can always substantially change how intelligent you are

You can always change basic things about the kind of person you are.

Musical talent can be learned by anyone.

The harder you work at something, the better you will be at it.

No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially.

You appreciate when people, parents, coaches, teachers give you feedback about your performance.

All human beings are capable of learning.

Human beings are basically good, but sometimes, they make terrible decisions.

An important reason for completing work is because you like to learn new things.

JIGSAW

Count off 1-5

In your small groups, establish the following roles: Facilitator Recorder Time Keeper Reporter

MUSICAL ROUNDSPut up all posters

when the signal is given, travel as a group - with post-its!

Read what the other groups wrote/posted, and leave your mark

Move with the music!

Post it!

Write and post a contribution, question, expand on an idea, comment on a personal reflection, etc.

EXPERTS: WHOLE GROUP SHARE

Reporters - Share Out

All others - listen attentively and take notes

FIXED OR GROWTH MINDSET?

Student B

• Is lacking credits

• Keeps working through a problem until arriving at a solution

• Welcomes or seeks help and makes adjustments when given feedback

• Celebrates others’ successes easily

Student A

• Is lacking credits

• Gives up easily when the task is too difficult

• Throws a fit or becomes ‘disconnected’ when given feedback or criticism

• Is bothered when other students are able to “get” a task quicker than her

FIXED OR GROWTH MINDSET?

Person B

• Seeks praise from others for validation

• Often displays successes

• Works hard to be ‘the best’

Person A

• Celebrates successes quietly

• Works hard to affect others, without focusing on personal gain or recognition

FIXED OR GROWTH MINDSET?Teacher B: • Loves teaching.

• Actively involved in most of his district’s professional development sessions, but in the classroom, chooses to expend energies in areas he’s most interested in.

• Has a disposition that ‘he knows best’ because he knows research-based best practices.

• Is able to work with colleagues, as long as they conform to his ways of teaching and learning.

• Is perplexed when his evaluations reflect less than perfect rating

Teacher A

• Loves teaching.

• Involved only in job-embedded professional learning sessions

• Minimal knowledge of research based-best practices

• Open to feedback, supports, and constructive criticism from others

• Works well with others, and often contributes time outside of instruction to support students and colleagues

• Evaluations, though not perfect ratings, have consistently and progressively improved.

FIXED OR GROWTH MINDSET?Child B

• Is smart

• Never satisfied with the outcome of her work

• Spends a lot of time re-doing assignments

• Works well with others, but often has to take more time to process new information

• Tries new things often

Child A

• Is smart

• Never satisfied with th outcome of her work

• Studious, completes all tasks, submits on time

• Does not like to work in groups, or takes on the bulk of the work when working with others

• Is scared to fail, so does only the things considered “safe”

RECAPMindset - set of personal beliefs; a way of thinking that influences your behavior and attitude toward yourself and others

Fixed Mindset - a belief system that suggests that a person has a predetermined amount of intelligence, skills, or talents

Growth Mindset - a belief system that suggests that one’s intelligence can be grown or developed with persistence, effort, and a focus on learning

Brain-Based Research suggests that the brain can be taught, wired and rewired when ‘exercised’ - neuroplasticity: the ability of the brain to change, adapt, and “rewire” itself throughout our entire life

Potential - “He is not working toward his full potential”; “We will help him to reach his full potential”; Qualities or Abilities —-> “untapped potential”

SO WHAT? WHY DOES IT MATTER?

- Do we believe that ALL students CAN learn? - … and if we BELIEVE that they can, what do we SAY and DO that speaks

this message to them so that they can discover their own UNTAPPED POTENTIAL?

- … and if children “learn what they live”, how SHOULD we MODEL and

PRACTICE having a GROWTH MINDSET so that they can LEARN and

REPLICATE it?

- How can we be deliberate in such practice?

- We have to THINK about how we’re thinking as it affects our words, actions, and ultimately, outcomes… of ourselves AND those around us - our students!

OUR REALITY.

We NEED to think about our own beliefs about learning and intelligence before we can get them to think about theirs.

OBJECTIVESWe will…

Know fixed and growth mindset

Understand how the brain can be trained to think, and how mindset affects perceptions and outcomes

Be able to distinguish between fixed and growth mindset as we reflect on our own

EXIT TICKET

“When you enter a mindset, you enter a new world. In one world — the world of fixed traits — success is about proving you're smart or talented. Validating yourself. In the other — the world of

changing qualities — it’s about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself.” - Carol S. Dweck

FURTHER RESEARCH/RESOURCESResources for teaching growth mindset: https://www.edutopia.org/article/growth-mindset-resources

“Teachers Need a Growth Mindset Too” - https://www.edutopia.org/article/teachers-need-growth-mindset-christina-gil

“Everything about Mindset” - https://www.mindsetkit.org

Books and research by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.