Growth Mindset (Original)
As I watched the video clip of Dr. Dweck, I was struck by the power of “not yet” instead of a failing grade. I believe this can be applied to everyone. In education we are driven to give letter grades. If the work product does not show mastery of the subject, a person who embraces a growth mindset would not give a failing grade, but give the work back to the student with feedback that would encourage the recipient to try again until they master the work. If instead, a failing grade is given, the recipient feels defeated and may move to a fixed mindset and shut down instead of having a growth mindset and realizing that the setback is an opportunity for growth and learning.
Growth mindset, the power of “yet”, is an integral part of advancing coding programs in my district. A shift in thinking needs to occur, both students and teachers must understand that when coding you are inevitably going to have setbacks. It is how you handle the setbacks that determines if the program will be a success. If a growth mindset is not embraced and a fixed mindset is applied, the learning stops because the students think that they will never get it right so why even try. However, by applying a growth mindset, learning continues as the students work to find a solution. The solution may be to go through the code line by line, have someone else look at it and give suggestions and sometimes you may even need to take a step back, look at the problem again and try a different approach. Persistence is the key.
In order to gain support for the coding movement, it is important for campus and district leaders to embrace a growth mindset. The leaders need to understand that the process of coding, including struggling, is as important as the final outcome. They also need to know that coding teaches critical thinking skills, persistence, problem solving, communication, math and creativity. Supporting the growth of a coding program will not only enhance the learning happening in other classes but will also help to reinforce a “yet” attitude.
Growth Mindset (Update)
Growth mindset is something I have been practicing my entire teaching career. It is not something I thought about until reflecting on how I have adopted a growth mindset. When I taught keyboarding, the first six weeks grade was determined by effort. To eliminate grade pressure, the student would get an “A” for the first grading period if they used proper typing technique as they completed the lessons. I was more concerned about if they learned to type by touch than i was about how fast they could type. Students needed to break bad habits and truly learn to type with the correct fingers and technique before they could become fast typists. Some students could not let go of their bad habits, they had a fixed mindset, and believed they could never learn to type by touch, so they didn’t. Most students however, showed grit and broke bad habits so they could learn to type by touch. These students showed a growth mindset by persevering and learning a skill they could use the rest of their lives.
This year I have been deliberate in the working towards a growth mindset and the power of “yet”. There were many times in my role, as Instructional Technology Specialist, that I was asked to train teachers on a program that I had rarely or never used. Instead of saying I could not train them on the program, I put the power of “yet” into practice. I told them though I didn’t have experience, or had limited experience, I would learn the program and then I would train them. This learning required trial and error as I worked with the programs. Sometimes it also required me to reach out to those who had experience with the program or search online for training and resources.
Another way I have shown a growth mindset is letting my teachers and students see that although I might not have the answer right away, I am able to search for the answer and figure it out. I would occasionally get called in to PLC or an office and asked how to do something that I did not have the knowledge or skill to do when I walked in the room. I showed the person who called me in that through trial and error, and sometimes looking things up, I could figure it out or we could figure it out together. As the opportunity arose, I also showed this to students as well. This happened with students as they had issues with their school issued devices. Sometimes I knew what the problem was right away, other times I had to research it. After I solved the problem, I shared the process with the students. By doing this, I modeled to them that it was ok if I didn’t have the answer right away, I could learn and figure it out
As I look forward to the next school year, and beyond, I am going to focus on being more deliberate in promoting a growth mindset. Next year I will be working more closely with our College and Career Readiness and Computer Science Fundamental teachers and we will be intentional in developing a growth mindset in the students. In addition, promoting a growth mindset will be an integral part of the work I do with teachers.
Sandra Negro 