Description
Personal Reflection | 20 minutes
Growth Mindset pertains to the belief that your ability to understand math can improve with practice, hard work, and commitment over time. Students with a strong Growth Mindset value the learning process itself over right answers. They are also more motivated to see mistakes as opportunities to learn and to challenge themselves knowing that their effort will be rewarded in the long term.
In contrast, a Fixed Mindset pertains to the belief that your learning ability is innate and unchangeable, regardless of effort. Students with a Fixed Mindset often say things like “I am just not born a math person” or “I just can’t get math even if I really tried,” and they often give up more easily when facing math challenges. Both Growth and Fixed Mindsets are on a spectrum (instead of a have v. not-have dichotomy), and people usually have a blend of both. Click here to download this page as a PDF. This reflection activity, by prompting you to reflect on your own program through the lens of a Growth Mindset, can:
Help you identify practices that foster or hinder Growth Mindset in your program/classroom.
Help you brainstorm new teaching/tutoring practices to foster students’ Growth Mindsets.