Tashia Mossman

I'm fortunate to work in a district that is always leading its employees to improve and innovate our teaching practices. Growth Mindset has been a topic of discussion for a few years now. We've received training on improving our own mindset, but also on improving the mindset of our students. It seems that a student's biggest hurdle is often his/her own inability to believe he/she can actually learn something new. With a lot of encouragement and the addition of that little word "yet," our brains begin to accept the likelihood that we will actually overcome whatever challenge we are facing.

Even though we know it's possible to overcome our current challenge, we need constant reminders to shift our way of thinking. Last year I had a wall in my classroom dedicated to reversing our fixed mindset phrases. Instead of "I can do this," students were encouraged to say "This might take me some time and effort." Rather than "I messed up," they were reminded "Mistakes help me improve." Unfortunately, my classroom was vandalized and my mindset wall was destroyed. I decided to dedicate more of my wall space to student work, so I haven't yet replaced my mindset wall. To remind myself to keep a growth mindset, I have the word "yet" on a post it on the bulletin next to my desk. It is a daily reminder to me that I'm not expected to be an expert at everything the first time. It takes time to master new things, sometimes a lot of time.

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May 2020 Update

After reviewing Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset and The Power of Yet, I can say with 100% confidence I spent much of my life with a fixed mindset. As a K-12 student, I cared only about getting good grades and showing how "smart" I was. Perhaps this was because my parents rewarded me for good report card grades, or maybe it was because not knowing something can carry a feeling of discomfort. Whatever the reason, I hit a wall when I went to college. This was the first time I'd had to truly put effort into learning and it was the first time I didn't already carry the identity of being "the smart kid." I still sometimes find it difficult to admit some things are hard for me to learn.

 

Teaching and having children of my own has helped me realize the power truly is in perseverance. Endeavors that come easily aren't usually worth our time. The feeling of accomplishment is so much more rewarding when we've had to work hard to achieve something. As a teacher, I try as often as possible to give feedback on my students' process rather than their achievements. When they are designing solutions to real-world problems, I review their brainstorming, planning, and teamwork instead of their final product. I know this is unusual for them because they ask a lot of questions like, "Will we get a failing grade if our design doesn't work?" This is actually one of my favorite times to explain growth mindset to them and explain that I am more interested in their progress toward growth than in what they already can do. If they walk into my class having already mastered everything I have to share or teach, I haven't done my job!

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With my own children, I find modeling a growth mindset to be a lot more time consuming. Maybe it's because I am their safe space and they feel more comfortable showing their frustration with me, but they need a lot of encouragement to work hard and persist when things aren't quick and easy. For example, I recently challenged my eight-year-old and seven-year-old with planning and preparing dinner for the whole family all on their own. They loved the planning, even when I had to remind them of certain dietary restrictions some family members have and they had to revise their plan a few times. The preparation was a different story. Within five minutes they both had given up. They said it was too hard. I don't think they realized just how many decisions go into making a meal and how much work it is. Gathering the supplies, planning the cook times, making sure to cook enough for everyone, cutting little sister's food small enough for her to chew... It's a lot of work and takes a lot of brainpower! After a pep talk and a reminder that we don't expect them to be perfect the first time they try, they reluctantly asked for some help in continuing the meal prep. What would have taken me about 20 minutes to prepare, took them about an hour and a half. But you know what? They did it. And I heard them proudly share more than once that those chicken nuggets tasted better than any they'd had before.

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Switching from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is not easy. It takes constant reminders that it's okay not to know something yet and that it might take a lot more time to learn. The greatest thing is that feeling of accomplishment when you do finally master whatever it is that has challenged you so. Would we experience that feeling if it came easily? Maybe we would to some degree, but not nearly as much as when we've had to put in the effort. As a teacher, I work to make sure my students see me as someone who recognizes their hard work, not just their accomplishments. 

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