- A growth mindset refers to a way of thinking where one understands that they can improve their skills, and if they don’t succeed at first, they can eventually with hard work. When referring to kids with a growth mindset, researcher Carol Dweck says that, “… they understood that their abilities could be developed.” On the other hand, those with a fixed mindset feel defeated when they are faced with a challenge, and according to Dweck, the students with a fixed mindset felt as though, “Their intelligence had been up for judgement and they failed.”
- Carol Dweck mentions ways that we can work towards having a growth mindset. The first one being that we can praise processes that allow us to engage and learn. Dweck says that we should praise kids in, “… their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance, (and) their improvement.” I personally think that this would be an effective strategy when trying to shift your perspective to a growth mindset because it focuses on the positive ways of thinking. Instead of getting down on yourself because you have not yet succeeded, you can focus on what works well in your learning process and know how to use those skills in the future. Another way we can work towards shifting our mindset is to simply use words such as “yet” and “not yet.” Using these terms, “…gives kids greater confidence, gives them a path into the future that creates greater persistence” (Dweck). I also think that this is a great way to slowly start to shift your perspective because it again takes a positive approach when looking at how you can improve. Instead of using words like fail that have negative connotations, you can say things like not yet, implying that you will eventually succeed at whatever it is you are attempting.
- Dweck explains that intelligence has to do with effort and difficulty and one’s ability to apply this effort to challenging situations. While many may see challenging situations and feel dumb or discouraged, Dweck sees these as a way to expand abilities and improve intelligence.
- As someone who has always been hard on myself when it comes to things like school and getting good grades, I have definitely found myself having fixed mindset moments. One of these instances was during my junior year of high school when I was going to take AP chemistry, but decided to drop it after one class. Instead of seeing it as a positive challenge that would improve my abilities and teach me how to work through difficult obstacles, I got nervous that the class would bring down my GPA. Looking back now I think I should have at least stuck with it for longer. Even if I did struggle with the work in that class, it would have been a great way to prepare myself for other college courses and to learn about what works well for me when faced with challenging situations.
