SECTION 1 ALL ABOUT GROWTH MINDSET
âSuccess comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of being.â
âJohn Wooden
In this section, weâll focus on the concept of growth mindset and the science behind it. These lessons range from introductory vocabulary to critical thinking exercises that require examining our own experiences to see growth mindset at work in our lives. Once this foundational piece is in place, you can move on to subsequent sections that take a deeper dive into concepts, skills, and abilities essential to cultivating growth mindsets in your classroom.
LESSON 1 Mindset Assessment Duration: 15â30 minutes
TEACHER TALK
We know what youâre thinkingâugh. Another assessment? But do not fear, this super-simple, straightforward mindset assessment has no right or wrong answers. You can (and should) take it right alongside your students. The purpose of this assessment is to gauge whether the test-taker leans toward a fixed or growth mindset in their overall attitudes and beliefs about learning. Use it as a foundational tool for examining the entrance into the mindsets. Once students (as well as colleagues, parents, and anyone else who wants to take the assessment) begin to understand their own beliefs about intelligence and how a fixed and growth mindset might influence achievement, you can begin the process of dismantling barriers to a growth-mindset environment and building practices that promote growth and improvement.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify whether they tend toward a fixed or growth mindset.
RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
The resources and materials necessary to conduct this lesson are:
- Copies of the Mindset Assessment
- Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset definitions
METHOD
DO Hand out a copy of the Mindset Assessment. Ask the students to put a check mark next to the statements they believe to be true. After all students have concluded the assessment, they will calculate how many odd-numbered statements had a check mark and how many even-numbered statements had a check mark. The odd-numbered statements represent fixed mindset thinking; the even-numbered statements represent growth-mindset thinking. If they have more of one than the other, it is likely they default to that mindset when dealing with life events and challenging situations. Share the definitions of growth and fixed mindset with students.
Growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and other qualities, abilities, and talents can be improved with effort, learning, and dedication over time.
Fixed mindset is the belief that intelligence and other qualities, abilities, and talents are fixed traits that cannot be significantly developed.
SAY Research has shown that when students approach their school work and other pursuits with a growth mindset, they get better results. We will be talking a lot about growth mindset this year. I want you to have the ability to call on your growth mindset when you need itâlike when you are taking on a hard challenge, solving a really difficult problem, or when you feel like you want to give up.
If your score leaned toward a fixed mindset, thatâs okay. We are all a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets. (Here, you have an opportunity to share personal examples of situations in which a growth or fixed mindset impacted your outcome.) But weâre going to start practicing how to use our growth mindsets as we approach challenges and learning in our classroom, because I believe you can learn anything, and I want you to believe that too.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
Review the studentsâ Mindset Assessments for completeness and accuracy of calculations. Check for understanding of fixed mindset and growth mindset definitions.
SUPPLEMENTAL/EXTENSION IDEAS
EXIT TICKET Ask students for examples of when they had a growth mindset and/or a fixed mindset in their own lives.
WATCH âGrowth Mindset for Students (1 of 5)â by ClassDojo on YouTube
WATCH âRSA Animate: How to Help Every Child Fulfill Their Potentialâ by The RSA on YouTube
DO Have students take copies of the assessment to parents to start an at-home discussion.