Growth Mindset

What is Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is believing in the power of yourself and your brain! 

We know our intellect and abilities develop when we try difficult things, use the right strategies, and don't give up. So a growth mindset is when we know, with practice, we will get better at something. 

Growth Mindset Integration: Medium-Risk Level 

🎬 Beyond the Video: Reflect, Discuss, Apply

💭 Understanding the Message

• What mindset shifts did you notice in the person or character? How did those shifts impact their outcomes?

• What evidence of growth mindset thinking can you identify in the video? (Find specific moments, quotes, or actions.)

• How did this story challenge your own ideas about talent, intelligence, or success?

🤝 Collaborative Reflection

(Turn & Talk, Pair-Share, or Small Group)

• How does this message connect to what we’re learning in class right now?

• What might this look like in our classroom when we face a tough project, new skill, or group conflict?

• How can we support each other when someone feels “stuck” in a fixed mindset?

• What kind of feedback helps you grow the most?

🚀 Action and Application

(Journaling, Exit Tickets, or Mini-Projects)

• Identify one strategy you can try this week when you hit a challenge (e.g., positive self-talk, asking for help, trying again).

• Create your own “growth mindset mantra” or quote—something that motivates you when you struggle.

• Think about a current class goal. How can you measure effort, not just the final result?

• Write a short note to a future student explaining what you learned about persistence from this video.

🧠 For Teacher Reflection 

Encouraging medium-risk integration helps students practice growth mindset, not just understand it.

Try inviting vulnerability: model your own learning moments (“I’m still figuring this out, but here’s what I tried…”).
Use feedback language that celebrates process and strategy (“You kept trying new approaches—what helped you decide to adjust?”).

Click here to see a more extensive list of SEL videos focused on growth mindset.

Click here to see dozens of growth mindset ideas for both Elementary & Secondary classrooms!

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