Growth Mindset

Over the course of the year your child will be learning about their brain. I hold the belief that that everyone has the ability to learn and grow their brain. This belief is called growth mindset. The theory of growth mindset comes from Dr. Carol Dweck. According to Ricci (2017) "Dweck (2006) described a belief system that asserts that intelligence and talent are malleable and can be developed-she coined the term growth mindset to describe this belief system. Learners with a growth mindset believe that with perseverance, resiliency, and a variety of strategies, they can learn and improve. It might take some struggle and some failure, but they understand that with the appropriate effort and perseverance, they can succeed." I know that all children are different and we all have a variety of strengths and weaknesses. However, in a growth mindset classroom children are taught the power of the word "yet." If a child is having a difficult time with something or has experienced some type of failure we discuss that perhaps they were not able to do a specific task, successfully sound out a word, or complete a math problem yet. However, this does not mean that we give up. It is when we meet resistance in life that we are awarded with the opportunity to learn and grow. The same holds true in the classroom! In my classroom children are awarded for effort, perseverance and resiliency. At this young age I am less concerned with grades and more concerned with students learning from their mistakes and having the opportunity to ask questions when they don't understand. I know that it can be difficult for some adults to hear but failure is part of the learning process and it's not a bad thing! When students are presented with challenges in the classroom they are provided with the opportunity to learn and grow from those challenges. They learn how to try new things, persevere and grow their potential as a learner. When children are not afraid of challenges or making mistakes they are more likely to take risks with their learning.

Ricci, Mary Cay. Mindsets in the Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and Student Achievement in Schools. Prufrock Press, 2017.