Advtech : Teaching Children About Growth Mind-Set

AUTHORDanielle Forsyth (Educational Psychologist of Trinityhouse Heritage Hill)

Parents and teachers tend to think that praising childrens' intelligence boosts confidence and motivation to learn. However, this type of praise provides only a brief boost in students' confidence, which leads to the development of a fixed mind-set - one that is more concerned with looking smart and keeping the parent or teacher's admiration, rather than actually working hard to learn and understand concepts. Parents and teachers would do better to focus on praising the 'process' or personal effort and any effective strategies used, which fosters motivation by placing value on what students have done and what they need to do to continue to be successful. This would ultimately lead towards teaching our learners and children about the power of a growth mind-set.

We can liken the theory of growth and fixed mind-set to the story of the tortoise and the hare. To have a fixed mind-set means to believe one's basic abilities, intelligences and talents, are just fixed traits. However, developing a growth mind-set means that you understand that talents and abilities can be developed through effort, practicing and persistence.

Individuals with a fixed mind-set often develop and peak before their peers, appearing to be more intelligent and successful than everyone else- however this is a dangerous trap to fall into.

' The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability, we will be brittle in the face of adversity.' (Josh Woutzkin) This is what happened to the hare. The tortoise however, with a growth mind-set continues to power through and works hard, overtaking the hare and eventually winning the race.

How many of us think ourselves as 'not maths people, or creative or sociable or athletic?' If we are to achieve our potential, we have to start thinking differently. We are not chained or bound to our current abilities. Let's take a tree as an example, it needs lots of water and minerals to grow, just like we do. By continuing to nurture and care for this tree it can grow taller and stronger than other trees, and the trunk and branches will literally explode with growth. Just like our brain, which is malleable and can physically change in size and growth. Even more so at a young age, the activity and growth of the brain during our short teenage years is phenomenal.

So how do we do this? Well there's no short cut or secret solution. It's as simple as hard work, commitment and perseverance. In any chosen field or career path you are certain to have some level of failure at some point. But at each pitfall you come across, you must learn to overcome it. We need to fail in order for us to learn to pick ourselves back up.

Right now these fixed mind-set learners might be ahead of others. However, they are afraid of failure and when they reach the peak that they are comfortable with, they will just stay there. They will never reach their full potential. Failure is the most essential step to success. And as the growth mind-set continues to improve they will overcome the rest.

If you feel you are in a fixed mind-set, don't lose hope, because there is a lot we can do to change that. But start by listening to your fixed mind-set and when you hear it, talk back with a growth mind-set voice. For example, if you hear ' I can't do it, add… 'YET'

Fixed mind-sets can change, so what mind-set are you in?

How can parents and teachers model a growth mind-set:

A lot of how our learners (or children) pick up on a growth mind-set will be from observing and listening to you as their parent or teacher. Show children how to recognize fixed mind-set thoughts and how to replace them with a growth mind-set.

With a few simple strategies, let's take a look at how to empower them in developing a growth mind-set in a variety of learning potential environments.

• The first thing our children need to know is that our intelligence isn't fixed - that it can change. It can get stronger or weaker depending on how much effort we are willing to apply.
• Teach your children that they can improve their IQ and talents. Present the evidence and teach them that education is something that they have control over. Just as a baby isn't born talking but learns over time, they don't know everything but can learn over time with work and effort.
• Assist them in altering their negativistic attitude of themselves into the 'I can if I just set my mind to it' attitude.
• Teach them that people with a growth mind-set believe that they can learn, change, and develop needed skills. They are better equipped to handle inevitable setbacks, and know that hard work can help them accomplish their goals.
• Phrase your feedback in a way that develops more of a growth mind-set: for example
• • I like the way that you…
  • You must have tried really hard at this.
  • I noticed you are thinking through the steps we discussed. Great job!
• Pay attention to their hypotheses, challenges and triumphs and remember to focus on the process more than the outcome.
• And lastly, teach children about the growth mind-set by telling stories about achievements that resulted from hard work. For instance, talking about mathematical geniuses who were more or less born that way puts students in a fixed mind-set, but descriptions of great mathematicians who fell in love with mathematics and developed amazing skills engenders a growth mind-set.

Developing a growth mind-set will take consistency over time. You will know that your kids are implementing the growth mind-set when you see them becoming more persistent, not contemplating about their own failure much at all but instead thinking of their mistakes as problems to be solved.