Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Growth Mindset

WEDNESDAY'S WORDS OF WISDOM

"You have only FAILED IF YOU HAVE GIVEN UP, until then, it's LEARNING"

Carol Dweck researched "Growth Mindset" and she talks about the power of believing in that you can improve.  The power of the word YET or NOT YET allows the student to keep trying and not give up.

https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?language=en

"If you have never failed.  You've never tried anything new."

Charles Schulz's,  Peanuts Comic Strip cartoonist became famous, however, in high school his work was rejected for the high school yearbook by the staff at his school.  If this stopped him he would never have become the famous cartoonist he became.As teachers and parents we should highlight the learning that happens through mistakes.  Students should be challenged and their accomplishments celebrated. Effort, practice and process should be praised not just the end result.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom:Growth Mindset.

WEDNESDAY'S WORDS OF WISDOM

GROWTH MINDSET

"No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you're still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying."

Tony Robbins

As Carol Dweck says in her pathbreaking book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. 
“Professor Carol Dweck "Teaching a growth mindset" at Young Minds 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXhbtCcmsyQ

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Never Give Up!

WEDNESDAY'S WORDS OF WISDOM

"Never Give Up!"

Winston Churchill

(The Peanuts Movie)

"Snoopy rushed to his typewriter and began to write.The Flying Ace knew he could never give up on her.  He could never give up on himself."

(Blue Sky The Peanuts Movie - Schulz, Movie Novelization)
Chapter 20 : The Final Battle pg 123

Children will confront many challenges, some small and others big.  Research suggests that perseverance, the ability to stick with tough tasks, discipline, dedication as well as drive is linked to individual achievement more than talent. This has been also researched by Carol Dweck who found that children who had a growth mindset, who believed their successes are a result of their hard work were the achievers. The children with a growth mindset believed that the more you challenge yourself, the smarter you become.
Children need to understand that even geniuses must work hard.  They need to persevere through difficult tasks.  

The book "Mindset"by Carol Dweck from Stanford University outlines her research on achievement and success and her idea of the power of our mindset.

http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-The-New-Psychology-Success/dp/0345472322

Here are some of the reviews about the book...

Praise for Mindset

“Everyone should read this book.”—Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Switch and Made to Stick

“Will prove to be one of the most influential books ever about motivation.”—Po Bronson, author of NurtureShock

“A good book is one whose advice you believe. A great book is one whose advice you follow. I have found Carol Dweck’s work on mindsets invaluable in my own life, and even life-changing in my attitudes toward the challenges that, over the years, become more demanding rather than less. This is a book that can change your life, as its ideas have changed mine.”—Robert J. Sternberg, IBM Professor of Education and Psychology at Yale University, director of the PACE Center of Yale University, and author of Successful Intelligence

“If you manage any people or if you are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset.”—Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start and the blog How to Change the World

“Highly recommended . . . an essential read for parents, teachers [and] coaches . . . as well as for those who would like to increase their own feelings of success and fulfillment.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“A serious, practical book. Dweck’s overall assertion that rigid thinking benefits no one, least of all yourself, and that a change of mind is always possible, is welcome.”—Publishers Weekly

“A wonderfully elegant idea . . . It is a great book.”—Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., author of Delivered from Distraction

Motivational Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjP9r-HU4fk

"The Pursuit of happiness" with Will Smith

You can learn anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC82Il2cjqA

Khan Academy

The brain is like a muscle, the more you use it and struggle the more it grows.

WEDNESDAY'S WORDS OF WISDOM

"Mistakes are proof that you are trying"

Author unknown

This quote hangs on my wall in my classroom.  There are many ways to find solutions to a problem - we can ask for help or clarification or we can work it out with a friend or a classmate.  We can work it out in a different way or last but not least we can make a mistake and guess what?  It can become clearer each time a mistake is made.  Giving up or saying "I can't do it!" is not an option and I wouldn't encourage this.

Society has placed barriers and created so much pressure that we are all under pressure to perform. Children are under pressure to be perfect.  Parents are under pressure to make sure that their children are achieving high results.  Teachers are under pressure to teach "for the test".  In Australia Naplan is a prime example of this.  We are all under pressure and this pressure is placed on the children in one form or another.

Studies have found that learning is enhanced when children make mistakes!  Do we give children opportunities for this?  Is our over crowded curriculum that should support children to develop at their own pace provide for this?

Carol Dweck, a professor at Stanford University, has done research that showed that praising children for their intelligence can actually make them less likely to persist in the face of challenge.  Carol did a study with 5th grade children in New York City schools.  One group was praised for their intelligence and another for their effort.  They were then challenged with an extremely difficult test designed to 8th graders.  The children that were praised for being smart became discouraged and their effort decreased by 20%.  They saw their mistake as a sign of failure.  The children that were praised for effort increased their effort by 30%.  Carol Dweck's research studies shows the importance of challenging children even if they get things wrong.  Mistakes are the pathways to learning.

I am now reading the book Carol Dweck has written called "Growth Mindset".  In her book she explains a simple idea that the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.  This book is a powerful book and I highly recommend it not only to teachers, parents and all individuals will find this book inspirational.