EDUA 5716 The Growth Mindset
THE GROWTH MINDSET: FOSTERING A RESILIENCE AND LOVE OF LEARNING
According to Carol Dweck, “becoming is better than being.” This is the kind of attitude that reflects a growth mindset. Mindset is a buzzword in today’s educational landscape, but it often only addresses the student mindset. Rarely is there mention of the educator’s personal beliefs about students’ abilities to grow and learn. It is critical, however, to thoroughly examine these beliefs, as research suggests that teachers’ self-beliefs can be communicated to students consciously or unconsciously. Building a mindset that talent can be cultivated, and that fosters positive attitudes about students’ abilities, starts with the teacher, and grows from there.
This course has two major goals. First, it will help you explore your internalized beliefs about your mindset towards learning. Do you possess a growth mindset and believe that with enough hard work, practice, and dedication, your skills can grow as a teacher, and do you pass that mindset onto your students? Or, do you subscribe to a fixed mindset, thinking no matter what you do, and no matter how hard you try, you are born with only a certain amount of ability? Next, we’ll discuss how to structure your classroom so there is a culture of perseverance that reframes students’ wrong answers and low grades from low potential to opportunities for development and growth. Ultimately, all students should feel that everyone in the classroom – especially themselves – has an equal chance to master content and skills.