The ability to succeed and improve your life starts in your mind. According to Dr. Carol Dweck, if you can adjust your thinking, you can change your outlook and improve your life. She popularised the famous philosophy in 2007 to explain the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
Through the book, Mindset: The new psychology of success, Dwek explains why it is possible to nurture your mind to believe there is always room for growth to achieve success.
There are two distinct types of mindset:
1. Fixed mindset: This mindset is rigid and believes that the student's character, level of intelligence, creativity, and skills are constant. It assumes that you cannot change a person's outlook. Students who have a fixed mindset may not be willing to try new things out of fear of failure or embarrassment.
2. Growth mindset: This mindset has a positive and optimistic outlook on life. The students believe that there’s always room for improvement. They are not afraid of failure and are willing to engage in new activities to gain experience. Students with a growth mindset are not afraid of taking risks. They believe that failure is a stepping stone to success, and it motivates them to keep trying.
Students need to develop a growth mindset and stay optimistic as they continue to develop their skills and learn new concepts. This way, they can improve their personalities and become productive adults in the future. A growth mindset is vital for the success of all students.
How to Develop a Growth Mindset?
Developing a growth mindset and staying positive even when you are under pressure can be challenging. However, the tips below can help students at international schools in Noida develop a growth mindset and improve their overall performance.
1. Embrace failure
Many students don’t try new concepts, engage in school activities, or express their views out of fear of failure and appearing inexperienced. They prefer to maintain a low profile and cheer on other students. This can be detrimental to their personality development and individuality.
Therefore, teachers need to explain why it is important to embrace failure and accept your flaws. When they give an incorrect answer or experience difficulty in an activity, encourage them to keep going, and believe that they can practise and revise their work to improve performance.
Many schools in the country believe in developing a growth mindset for students through embracing failure and viewing it as an opportunity to learn. Students are encouraged to participate in classwork and engage in various extracurricular activities. Teachers offer support and guidance as the students pursue their interests. When they know they have a support system, they are less likely to be afraid of failing.
2. Incorporate different learning methods
Part of developing a growth mindset in students is diversity. Teachers can incorporate different learning methods in the class. That will show the students that they can accomplish their goals in more than one way. Instead of the usual teacher lecture at the front of the class, ask them to work individually, in pairs, or a group.
Give them projects or class assignments that they can work on individually or as a group. When they see how they can accomplish results in more than one way, they can let go of the fixed mindset. You can also develop a growth mindset by including various audio-visual clips, games, and fun physical activities.
3. Communication
How you communicate with a student can determine their mindset. A student who hears about his/her inability to improve daily can end up believing that they cannot succeed. They develop a fixed mindset and lose interest in trying to improve.
However, when a student receives praise for any accomplishment, they are bound to keep working harder. No matter how frustrating a student's lack of improvement may be, learn to phrase your statements encouragingly.
Use phrases that will encourage them and build their confidence. The way you phrase your words can also influence how your students communicate. They learn to be positive and use kind words to encourage themselves and their classmates.
4. Praise
Although it is essential to encourage students to keep working hard by complimenting their effort, it can also impact them negatively. When students receive praises for their intelligence and performance, they are likely to develop a fixed mindset.
They start to believe that for them to succeed, they need to maintain what they are doing. The students may be afraid to try new concepts out of fear of failure. Therefore, instead of praising the student's intelligence, praise their effort and execution and ask them to try a new technique. "Congratulations Jane, you are so smart." Can develop a fixed mindset.
However, this statement can develop a growth mindset. "Congratulations Jane, you made the math problem seem so easy can you try it again with this formula?"
5. Seeking approval
Students need to learn the importance of individuality and independence from a young age. That will boost their confidence and diminish the need for approval from others. When you depend on approval from others, you cannot develop a growth mindset.
You learn to do things according to what other people think. However, when you are an independent thinker, it is easier to make your own decisions and explore new ideas.
6. Use the word "yet."
According to Dr. Dweck, the word "yet" can positively impact the student and develop a growth mindset. You can use the word to change the connotation of a sentence that indicates the student wants to give up.
For example, when a student says, “I can’t complete the math problem," you can change the negative connotation of the sentence by adding "yet." "You can't complete the math problem yet." This difference shows that there is still room for improvement, and the student can try again. The second phrase fosters a growth mindset.
Positivity and optimism are fundamental in developing a growth mindset. Encourage the students to look for growth opportunities in every challenge and try new activities now and then. Teach them the value of challenges and being kind to themselves.
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