Growth Mindset

Learning Objective

Students will understand the meaning of this character strength to then apply it in their lives.

Mục tiêu học tập

Học sinh sẽ hiểu được ý nghĩa của điểm mạnh tính cách này để áp dụng vào cuộc sống.

What Does This Character Strength Look Like When Applied?

Definition: The belief that our basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are the starting point. This view leads to a love of learning and a resilience (grit) that is essential for great accomplishment. (Dweck, 2015) Those with a growth mindset believe that they can get smarter, more intelligent, and more talented through putting in time and effort. (Positive Psychology)

Motto: "You’re in charge of your mind. You can help it grow by using it in the right way." ¹ I am open to failure and learning from it.

Agency - This term is used a lot these days in describing the empowerment and self-confidence we want our students to experience as they make decisions in their lives. It connects to growing their sense of self-efficacy and understanding concerning their locus of control. These two concepts connect to the self-talk in whether we see ourselves as internals or externals regarding our belief regarding whether we are in charge of how we affect our lives or if we see life affecting us.

What it Looks Like and How to Encourage:

• Embracing challenges, sustaining effort, and trying new strategies, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability

• Support reflection not just around intelligence but around exercising other Character Strengths that support change and growth

• Use the term "challenge(s)" and language around proactively engaging strengths and taking on challenges

Create real-life opportunities for learning and personal growth. Give students meaningful challenges, ongoing support, and consistent and constructive feedback. Use language that involves setting goals, moving into one's "stretch zone," and asking them, "who can support you with your efforts?". See yourself as a coach.

Unpack the Strength²:

• What does the strength look like in action?

• What does this strength feel like in action?

• When and where can you use it?

• What is the "shadow-side" of this strength?

Điểm mạnh tính cách này trông như thế nào khi được áp dụng?

Learning Activities (Choose from the Following)

1. Challenges, Not Barriers! - What is the difference between a barrier and a challenge? Think of a barrier like a wall and a challenge being a door that you can figure out how to open and walkthrough. Spend a couple of moments sharing your answers to this question with your partner. Next, work with your partner for three minutes to write down as many daily barriers you face in a typical week. Task> Choose two or three of the barriers to come up with ways to overcome them...to open the door to move through them! Which character strengths, skills, how you use your time, and other problem-solving tools can you try? Goal> To recognize that problems and things we think we cannot do are doable if we pause, devise a plan, and then put in the effort and time to take on the challenge. To recognize that there is a wide range of ways to change barriers into challenges and opportunities.

2. Choosing to Practice - Work with a partner for one minute to write down as many activities based on people's skills. Think of categories like sports or cooking that involve practicing skills. Next, take two minutes to list more specific skills that you and your partner practice. Examples might be a type of sport or even keyboarding for example. Task> Each of you is to choose one of the skills or activities that is the most challenging to practice. It may be an activity that you set a goal to achieve. Answer the questions "what keeps you practicing? What pushes you to practice when your brain might say it is easier to quiet?". Goal> To understand that we have control over our thinking. Through effort and learning, we can improve and reach our goals.

3. Sharing Time - Everyone shares either a barrier and how they will overcome it OR one challenging skill or activity they will continue to practice. Share what your brain tells you that keeps you practicing. Goal> To further deepen your understanding of how you can engage your growth mindset to overcome obstacles and work towards your goals.

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1. Leaving Your Comfort Zone - Your teacher will show you this document with a picture of four zones we can be in. The teacher will explain the four zones of Comfort - Fear - Learning - Growth to you. You will then work with your partner to do the following. First, take three minutes to list personal examples of when you were in each zone. If you don't have an example of being in the Growth/Stretch zone, it is OK. Now choose a skill or activity you want to work on but have yet to move into the Growth/Stretch zone. Share with your partner how you can change your thinking and actions to make a move into the Growth/Stretch zone. :) Goal> Reflect on how comfortable you are with parts of your life. Think about pushing yourself to move out of your Comfort zone with some of your activities.

2. Guiding Mantra - First, a mantra is a word that means having a sentence or set of words that we repeat in our minds to help us work through situations. It is when we are talking to ourselves. We call this "self-talk." Examples can be when you are playing a sport saying in your head, "I can make this shot. I can do it." Or maybe you have a mantra when you meet new people that say, "smile and make this person feel comfortable." Task> Spend a few minutes with your partner to think of a mantra or two that you might already be using. You might not even be aware of it! Next, think of a personal mantra that you can use to help you engage your growth mindset. Examples are "I can ..., I am learning to ..., I am trying ... and I am going to ...". Choose a final growth mindset mantra to share with your partner. Goal> To create a mental tool to help you use your growth mindset, especially when you need to move into your Growth/Stretch zone.

3. Sharing Time - Choose to share with the class either a skill or activity you want to practice further moving into your Growth/Stretch zone OR your growth mindset mantra. Goal> To show each other that it is normal to want to stay in one's Safety Zone while also understanding that we can get our friends to help support us in our personal growth.

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Let's create a Character Card!

1. Decide whether you want to use paper and drawing pencils or if you want to use technology.

2. The ultimate goal is to create cards for all 27 character strengths, so decide on the card size for this and your future creations.

3. You decide on the layout of your card. Think about having sections that contain a picture of the strength, a definition, and ways to exercise the strength in real life.

4. Create your card and save it to your growing collection.

5. Share your card with a partner or the whole class.
   

Goal> To deepen your understanding of this character strength by engaging your spatial and artistic skills. To also exercise your character strength of CREATIVITY!

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Taking Action: Use the WOOP goal-setting system to plan to engage this character strength more often in your life. It can be helpful to work with a partner to complete the WOOP worksheet to coach and support each other to reach your goal. Goal> To exercise this character strength more often with intention in your life! To also exercise the character strength of PROACTIVITY!

Hoạt động học tập (Chọn từ những hoạt động sau)

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Hãy tạo một Thẻ nhân vật! Mục tiêu> Để hiểu sâu hơn về sức mạnh của nhân vật này bằng cách tham gia vào các kỹ năng nghệ thuật và không gian của bạn. Để cũng thực hiện sức mạnh SÁNG TẠO của nhân vật của bạn!

1. Quyết định xem bạn muốn sử dụng giấy và bút chì vẽ hay bạn muốn sử dụng công nghệ.

2. Mục tiêu cuối cùng là tạo ra các thẻ cho tất cả 26 điểm mạnh của nhân vật, vì vậy hãy quyết định kích thước của thẻ cho việc này và các sáng tạo trong tương lai của bạn.

3. Bạn quyết định bố cục của thẻ của bạn. Hãy suy nghĩ về việc có các phần chứa hình ảnh về sức mạnh, định nghĩa và các cách để rèn luyện sức mạnh trong cuộc sống thực.

4. Tạo thẻ của bạn và lưu nó vào bộ sưu tập ngày càng tăng của bạn.

5. Chia sẻ thẻ của bạn với một bạn kh.. và / hoặc cả lớp.

I Want To Learn More

• Growth Mindset video

Tôi muốn học nhiều hơn

• (chúng tôi sẽ cần xem liệu có tài nguyên nào bằng tiếng Việt có thể giúp học viên tìm hiểu thêm về thế mạnh này không)

¹ Niemiec, Ryan M., and Neal H. Mayerson. The Strengths-Based Workbook for Stress Relief: a Character Strengths Approach to Finding Calm in the Chaos of Daily Life. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2019.

² Embedding Character Strengths. Institute of Positive Education. With permission.

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