Creating a Growth Mindset Culture in Classroom

by Harakka M. Instructional Strategist, M.Ed.

We all know intuitively that a teacher and principal plays a key role in the education and also in student’s life. They can have an enriching effect on the daily lives of students and their lifelong educational and career aspirations. After parents, they plays an important role in molding the mind of the students. Most educational reforms focus on curriculum and pedagogy—what material is taught and how it is taught. However, the two have often been narrowly defined as the academic content and student intellectual processing of that material. This is insufficient. In our pursuit of educational reform, something essential has been missing and that is “The Mindset Of A Student”.

Students should be well aware, “How effort can overcome natural ability” and the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset. The true meaning of growth mindset is often misinterpreted. Therefore, it is the responsibility of a teacher to make the students realise what exactly does having a growth mindset actually means. They must guide the students in particular the impact of different mindsets on their lives.

The theory of growth mindset is as applicable to teachers and staff as it is to students. Just as students need to work towards an open, positive and resilient approach to learning, teachers have the opportunity to embrace a culture of positivity and praise within their classrooms. The benefits of growth mindset in teaching and learning are significant. Students are likely to feel more empowered to show that effort can overcome natural ability and will be excited to learn and embrace new opportunities. This will impact on their levels of attainment, their attendance and their levels of motivation. Teachers who embrace a growth mindset can collaborate with colleagues rather than focusing solely on their own student’s results, and will feel motivated by the efforts and achievements made by their students mindset is as applicable to teachers and staff as it is to students.

Now, developing a growth mindset learning culture is not an overnight process. There are some fundamental shifts in approach needed to truly embrace this influential theory.A key shift in approach is about praise and feedback. Praise needs to move away from commenting on how clever a student is to instead praising the hard work and effort involved in a task. The concept of “gifted and talented” children needs to move towards “high-starters”, again recognising the effort that a child puts in rather than their natural ability. Students should feel constantly challenged but in a safe, secure environment where they are able to make mistakes and learn from them.

For Teachers, Mentors & Counsellors –

“Students’ beliefs about their academic ability influence their academic tenacity. If students are going to invest their effort and energy in school and colleges, it is important that they first believe the effort will pay off. Their mindsets about intelligence predict their academic performance in real-world settings”…….

ü Discover the variations in your students and celebrate all that is good in them and you will have earned their respect and opened their mind for learning.

ü Help Students change their internal voice from being judging to being focused on learning and improvement. Ask them to Change "this means that I am not good at these types of problems" to "what should I do differently next time". Change "I am better than them" to "I am on the right track".

ü Brief them Intelligence is something they have to work for … it isn’t just given to them.

ü Tell them imperfections are not shameful, but an opportunity to think how one can make it perfect.

ü Make the use of educational video as a key learning tool, which can further develop interest and reinforce positive feelings about learning, which is a critical part of the growth mindset.

ü Another important aspect of developing a growth mindset learning culture is ensuring that parents support this approach in the students’ home environment as well as at school. Parents play a significant role in reinforcing the key positive messages and theories behind growth mindset.

ü Show them that in order to adopt a growth mindset, they have to learn how to learn and appreciate stucking at something.

ü Show and inform them that a person’s true potential is unknown (and unknowable) and that it’s impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil, and training

ü You are all aware of the teachable moment, and most of you have experienced it firsthand. You know that one of the best opportunities for students to learn is when they are asking questions, so encourage students to ask more and more questions and praise them for the same.

For Students

One of the best way to adopt a growth mindset is to learn a new thing like improvised comedy: this is not natural for most people! But it's super fun and rewarding. You'll become a better listener, more observant, and say things more directly as a result. Bonus points if you stick with it: you'll learn how to craft a compelling narrative (i.e. what makes a story interesting) and how scenes are built, OR learn a new instrument (or music in general): Again, another way to stretch your mind in a new dimension is to pick up a new instrument. Plus its super fun, you'll listen to songs differently, and slowly appreciate new aspects of music. Last but not least learn a new language: this is the classic example of learning something new to stretch your brain. It requires you to rewire and re map your brain. It's also super fun if you plan a trip to the host country to celebrate your newly acquired skills.

Neuroscience shows that our brains continue to develop and change even as adults. Old dogs really can learn new tricks!!

The brain is actually quite like plastic, and can be reshaped over time, forming new neural pathways. This has led neuroscientists to call this tendency neuroplasticity. These neural pathways are developed by doing or thinking particular things. The things that we do or say more often become hard-wired into our brains as habits. These form defined ‘routes’ in our brain, which become easier to use.

But you can still change them. The first step is to realise that you need to, then to train your brain in the new skill. It may help to think about this learning as a cycle, and the competence cycle .

There are three key things that you can do to develop a growth mindset:

1) You need to recognise that a growth mindset is not just good, but is also supported by science. In other words, you need to be committed to developing a growth mindset.

2) You can learn and teach others about how to develop and improve their abilities through adopting a growth mindset. This will help you to take control of your life, which is hugely empowering. People who feel in control tend to perform better. It’s a virtuous cycle.

3) Listen out for your fixed mindset voice. When you hear that little critical voice in your head telling you that you can’t do something, reply with a growth mindset approach and tell it that you can learn.