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| "Thinking" (CC BY 2.0) by Moyan_Brenn |
Young people look to the adults in positions of power for feedback on a regular basis. It means, if that is you, then what you say and how you say it carries a lot of weight. It's something we need to take seriously.
It’s important to recognise that our own mindsets play a crucial role in how we relate to others. If you do not believe in what having a growth mindset stands for then all you will do is become further entrenched into your own fixed thinking and do the same with the young people.
Here are some ways you can promote a growth mindset:
A growth mindset does not think intelligence is fixed. It believes that through hard work and focus you can increase your understanding and ability to apply what you have learnt. You become more intelligent. If you think it is fixed and that anything outside of this way of thinking makes you feel vulnerable then you will make life difficult for your students. If we can imply in what we say and do that intelligence increases through effort then they can see some hope when things get hard. Tell them to keep trying.
A growth mindset is happy to make mistakes and accept a challenge. If we can encourage them to learn to enjoy the feeling of vulnerability amidst the development of new skills then they are more likely to be open to trying something new. They will learn that they might not just be there yet, but should be soon.
A growth mindset views criticism as a way to improve. If they begin to ask questions to get more precise feedback rather than shy away from anything they perceive negative we are on to a winner. Tell them about the power of feedback and how they can gain so much and improve quicker by initially bracing themselves for it and later learning to look for it.
A growth mindset knows that success is never easy and that only through hard work and focussed effort will anyone succeed. Tell them not to expect everything to come easy. Encourage the development of resilience through effort. Don’t tell them they are great because of what they achieve instead consider linking it to effort. This way they will be more predisposed to solve problems through trial and error rather than expecting everything to come easily.
A growth mindset views the success of others as an inspiration. If your thinking is more fixed than you will view it as a threat. Maybe you can find people around you or someone famous to inspire them. They don’t have to worry about being seen as the best all the time.
People with a growth mindset tend to see the funny side. Please tell them it's OK to look silly and get things wrong. Help them to develop a real sense of their own values because it is from this position they can stride forward with a degree of confidence and with a smile.
Life is a journey after all.
John Hassall
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