Three Strategies to Increase a Growth Mindset

Human mindset differs. They could be fixed or growth. The difference between a fixed mindset and a growing mindset is simple. A fixed mindset assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static and cannot be changed. A growing or growth mindset, on the other hand, adopts the perspective that our intelligence, creativity, and character can change and grow over time.

These two views have a tremendous impact on teaching and learning. If a teacher believes in a fixed mindset, then he or she is saying there is no potential for growth. If a child is intelligent, they will continue to be so. If a child is struggling, it’s because he or she just isn’t “smart enough”. On the other hand, if you believe in a growth mindset, you believe that students may start with a certain amount of ability, but that can change over time with effort and persistence.

Three Strategies to Increase a Growth Mindset

 Build a Learning Mindset

As educators, we need to ensure that students have a learning-oriented mindset. Often, they don’t. Most of my struggling learners had given up, believing they could never learn. We start the process by having this mindset ourselves, then constantly and consistently reinforcing it with students. We do this by providing the right support for them to learn, encouraging them along the path, and celebrating their resilience and success.

Reinforce Effort

Encouraging and reinforcing effort are particularly critical for those students who do not understand the importance of their own efforts.

Provide Multiple Opportunities for Success.

I believe that students should have the opportunity to redo work they do not complete at a satisfactory level. Too often, struggling learners do what they consider their best work, yet it is unacceptable. At the primary grades, we use mastery learning, the concept that students continue to learn and demonstrate learning until we know they understand. If you are already doing this, I urge you to continue. But as students grow older, we tend to stop giving them multiple opportunities to show mastery.

It’s important to note that, helping students develop a growth mindset is a critical part of a motivating and rigorous classroom. You can help your students develop this mindset by focusing them on learning, reinforcing effort, and providing multiple opportunities for success.