Growth Mindset: Moving From “I Can’t” to “I Can!”
Helping struggling students can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding things you will do as a teacher. Sometimes you have students who just can’t seem to grasp that tricky math equation or understand the deeper context of what they’ve read.
Unfortunately, some students become convinced that they will never be able to succeed in that subject area. As soon as they hit a challenge, they think to themselves, “I can’t.” As teachers, one of our jobs is to turn that “I can’t” into an “I can’t yet” and eventually into an “I can.”
One way that teachers can help all of their students is to teach them how to develop a growth mindset. When students have a growth mindset, they know that their skills and abilities can change with practice and effort. Helping students develop a growth mindset turns them into problem solvers who know how to rise to a challenge.
Our Four Corners Growth Mindset Evaluation resource helps you evaluate your students’ growth mindset while engaging with new knowledge, one another, and you. During a session of Four Corners, students respond to a statement about their views on intelligence, skills, and talent by moving to different corners of the classroom. You can record the students’ responses to see who may need some additional support.
To get a bit more in-depth, try our Growth Mindset Assessment and Reflection lesson plan. It introduces students to the concept of a growth mindset by asking them first to reflect on their own thinking patterns. After they reflect, students explore resources and work together to reframe fixed mindset thinking. This lesson plan will help you equip your students to navigate challenges, embrace change, and welcome and use feedback.
Looking for ways to help your team foster a culture of growth? Try our Creating a Culture of Growth professional development resource. Learn how your own mindset about growth, including your own ability to grow, heavily influences your beliefs about your students’ potential for growth. And your beliefs about your students are inextricably tied to their perceptions of themselves. Customize this session to invite participants to reflect on their own mindsets, students’ mindsets, and strategies for creating a culture of growth in the classroom.
Every teacher and student can benefit from developing a growth mindset. With a little practice and support, we all can learn to say, “I can!” and truly believe it.