Growth Mindset
Learners engage and persevere at points of difficulty or error, avoid self-limiting statements, and dispute negative self-talk, instead utilizing growth mindset language and positive self-talk.
WELL-DEVELOPED LEARNERS
Engage in perseverance and commitment when difficulties arise
Evidence of Learner Behaviors
Describe their process and thinking when they hit an obstacle in a learning goal or task
Questions to Ask Learners
When you are working on a learning task or goal, and it gets difficult, what do you do?
What are some of the ways you think about that challenge?
Use growth mindset language and thinking
Evidence of Learner Behaviors
When asked about their learning skills or processes, describe that they can achieve it through work and dedication
Describe how they believe or think the brain can grow
Questions to Ask Learners
For learning or tasks that are challenging for you, do you think you can accomplish them?
Why do you think that?
Use strategies to avoid self-limiting statements or negative self-talk
Evidence of Learner Behaviors
Describe how they build themselves up or other strategies they use to persevere during challenges
Questions to Ask Learners
What are some ways you boost your confidence during challenging learning?
What kinds of things do you say to yourself?
THE RESEARCH SHOWS
Learners with a growth mindset are more motivated to learn and are resilient in the face of challenge. Learners attribute success to learning and effort, are not afraid of failure, and are more responsive to process feedback.
MINDSETS
Fostering a growth mindset requires a focus on process instead of product. Learning facilitators should support small wins, focus feedback on effort, facilitate personal goal-setting, and support with ongoing skill-building.
Educator Actions
Learning facilitators guide learners to develop a growth mindset and the ability to persevere when challenged.
CSTPs: 6.2
QUICK WIN
During small group or independent practice, have learners connect with a partner to provide support and positive reinforcement. At TK- 5 content levels, this can be at the Guided Reading table. At the 6-12 content levels, this can be during goal check-ins or before a learner attempts a 3V.
Highlight how this develops key Lifelong Learning skills!
LESSON-PLANNING AND DESIGN STRATEGIES
Modeling and guiding learners to use growth mindset language or positive self talk (P/F)
Positively and publicly recognizing growth that is attributable to hard work (P/F)
Building learners’ understanding of the processes that happen in the brain while learning (P/F)
Acknowledging struggle as a natural part of learning while providing appropriate guidance and support to maintain the instructional goals and cognitive demands of the task (P/F)
Helping learners explore any self-limiting statements as they occur (F)
P = planned F = facilitated spontaneously
