At-Home Teaching Tip - Growth Mindset
Today’s At-Home Teaching Tip is about the powerful concept of Growth Mindset. By using Growth Mindset techniques, you can help kids, adults and yourself grow into stronger and more resilient individuals.
Growth Mindset is a concept that was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck. In her research, she discovered that people tend to have one of two types of mindsets: fixed or growth. A person using a fixed mindset would approach problems with an all or nothing approach: they believe that they were either smart enough to figure something out, or they simply were not. On the other hand, someone with a Growth Mindset would approach problems with the idea that they could improve – that they could learn, practice and get better. If they didn’t succeed right away, then that was just a step towards success, not a final destination of failure.
One of the best descriptions I have heard to describe Growth Mindset is to think of your brain like a muscle: If you aren’t “strong” enough to solve a problem, then you just need to “exercise” your brain more.
There is a ton of research about Growth Mindset and the impact it can have on kids and adults. Here are a few of my favorite videos: Growth Mindset in Carol Dweck’s own words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0mgOOSpLU A great explanation of Growth Mindset for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zrtHt3bBmQ
What’s super cool about Growth Mindset is that it is really easy to implement. When it comes to working with kids, a great way to encourage Growth Mindset is by using praise. Rather than focusing on intelligence or talent, it is better to praise kids for their hard work and effort. For example, if your child brings home an assignment with an “A” grade, it is tempting to say “You are really smart”. However, it would be better to say “I can tell you worked really hard to earn that grade”. When praise is focused on intelligence, children can become fearful of taking on new challenges, fearing that if they fail, it will show that they really weren’t that intelligent. However, when praise focuses on effort, it encourages children to take on bigger and harder challenges. By being conscious of how you use praise, you can help kids develop a Growth Mindset.
At the Evansville Museum, we incorporate Growth Mindset into our tours, summer camps and Super Saturday family-day activities. It is always a wonderful moment when a kid keeps trying and eventually overcomes a challenge!
I highly encourage you to incorporate Growth Mindset into your own life. Everyone will encounter a difficult challenge in their life, but with the right mindset, it can make all the difference.