A growth mindset is a belief that your talents can be developed, through hard work, good strategies, and input from others. When students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort, and that leads to higher achievement.

A growth mindset is important because it helps students reframe their approach to challenges and stay motivated to work to improve skills. Cultivating this growth mindset often starts with teachers and the way they respond to students’ work. Praising students for hard work, rather than intelligence, will help to foster confidence that anything can be learned with the right amount of effort. When students worry less about looking intelligent and put more energy into learning, they’ll achieve more overall. When a growth mindset for students is adopted in the classroom, learning potential is limitless.