Chapters 1 and 2
In the first chapter, Mary Cay Ricci discusses how mindsets affect the classroom (hence the name of the chapter!). It really sets up the book.
- Was there anything that really stood out to you in this first chapter?
Chapter 2 is where, I believe, the real meat of the book begins. It discusses how to build a school culture that supports a growth mindset. Administrators would be best suited to this chapter. I would like to bring this book to my current administrators with the hopes that they get on board and bring it on to the staff as a whole. I have touched base with a few of my fellow teachers, but I really think it needs to be a whole school initiative.
- In what areas, personal or professional, do you have a fixed mindset? Why?
- In what areas, personal or professional, do you have a growth mindset? Why?
- If you were given appropriate instruction and you had the time, persistence, and motivation, at what would you become better?
- Would you be willing to bring this to your administrator as a possibility for a whole-school initiative? What do you believe the response would be?
Next week, we will look at Chapters 3 and 4. Thank you in advance for your comments and responses to the different questions. Please note that you do not have to answer all of the questions. Answer the questions that speak to you, or simply give your thoughts, ideas or any other information you would like to include. This is your learning opportunity, so make it what you want 🙂
What really stood out for me in Chapter 1 is the difference in the amount of students who believed in a fixed mindset compared to a growth mindset for each grade. I teach grade 2 and 3 thus according to Carol Dweck’s data, I have 18% of students in grade 2 believing in a fixed mindset and 42% in grade 3 believing in a fixed mindset. Yikes! I’m concerned about the new curriculum with students expected evaluate themselves on the core competencies. According to this data, I may have most of my grade two students evaluate themselves highly on all the core competencies (yeah)! and to not have as many grade three students evaluate themselves as positively.
I have a variety of things I would like to get better at, if I had the appropriate instruction, time, persistence, and motivation. I recently went to a Google Apps for Education conference and was amazed at all the capabilities of Google. I am recently learning how to set up Google alerts to keep on top of news that I am interested in as opposed to news that is in the popular media. I would like to get better at using technology for things I’m interested in.
The good thing is that there is still time to change the mindset of your students! A change in mindset now will help them for the rest of their lives.
It seems as if you are already on your way to growing in your technology learning. I am sure that you could teach me a thing or two 🙂
Hi. My name is Carla Lowther and I teach in Fort St. John at 2 different campuses of the local high school.
As I already told Sarah over the holiday, I became VERY aware of just how much of a fixed mindset I have. At the Energetic Learning Campus (http://elc.prn.bc.ca/) there are signs up everywhere about Fixed vs. Growth Mindset. To be completely honest, I never paid them much attn. My colleagues would keep telling me I have a fixed mindset and I would just laugh it off b/c I honestly did not know the difference. Man, was Ch. 1 a wake-up call. The ELC is built on the premise of a growth mindset, so it really is a miracle that I am in my third year there.
I have been trying very hard to have a growth mindset, esp about my own abilities (in subjects such as Physics, esp). I am such a dope when it comes to Physics – all of the students laugh with me at how long it takes me to grasp those concepts, if I ever get them. My oldest son, 20, just says, “Mom, let me deal with it. It’s Physics.” I honestly do not think I have a fixed mindset for students overall, but I definitely do for myself. However, even with saying this, I will admit that I do have a sort of fixed mindset with some kids on IEPs. They are never going to be able to do some things as quickly or as easily as those who are fortunate enough to not have an LD. I want to push them to do the best THEY can do, NOT the best someone else can do. So b/c I have different expectations of them, I think that means I have a fixed mindset. Does it? Or is this a growth mindset for them to do the best they can, whatever way they can?
I would like advice on how to calmly and professionally educate other staff members who do not believe in students having any type of growth mindset whatsoever.
Thanks for starting this book club, Sarah. Looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Hi Carla,
I have also been struggling with educating other staff members who do not believe in a growth mindset for students! When you find the answer to this I would love to know 😉 I always challenge people when they speak about students with a fixed mindset and have offered professional development opportunities for support staff. I’m not sure that we can ever change someones thinking but, I do believe we can challenge their thinking during conversations, in the staff room, and in meetings!
Carla,
I believe that because you are pushing your LD students to do all that they can do you are in fact pushing them to do their very best. When a person does their very best, they have the ability to continue their growth. Giving them a challenge and then having them do their best, is what I believe encompasses a growth mindset. It is in continually pushing people to do their best that allows us to see their growth. At least that is what I believe, not that that is backed by any research (other than this and a couple other books I have read) 🙂
The point about the importance in the amount of persistence and effort a student puts forth in learning stood out for me in Chapter 1. When students are engaged in something they are interested in learning about or a skill they want to accomplish then they will take the time needed to follow their passion. The key to engaging a student in learning can blossom by taking the time needed to get to know a student, what interests them and what their strengths are. This information can then be used to drive their learning in the subject matter.
Chapter 2 reminded me of the growth mindset I underwent initially three years ago when I decided that I wanted to be able to teach in front of a whole class again after many years of case management, small group and individual work. I signed up for training in the Roots of Empathy program and the MIndUp program. Initially it was anxiety provoking but this is now my third year of teaching both programs to various student grades. Each grade and class is different and so are the moms and babies. I have found that students even in Kindergarten love learning about their brain, self regulation techniques and how to be mindful. Sometimes they even teach their family members how to use the glitter bottles that we make, to calm down.
Thanks Sarah for initiating this book study.
Thanks for sharing Melanie! It is wonderful to see the growth of the students when they are learning about the brain and so uplifting to hear about students in Kindergarten learning about the brain and sharing their learning with their families. It is so important for parents to understand the importance of a growth mindset, as this is something that most parents have heard nothing about in the past.
I have been working with students on developing a growth mindset for about a year but wrestling with the idea of students’ innate abilities and talents and how they fit into the growth mindset. So the section of chapter 1 that talks about how children are born with various degrees of specific strengths stood out for me. It makes sense to me that those strengths may make it easier for those children to learn in those areas, but a growth mindset shows that other children have the potential to work with those students and even surpass them.
I think it gives real hope to parents who have children who are struggling at school. If we teachers believe that their children can succeed, despite obstacles, then it will make it all possible.
I totally understand what you mean about a student’s innate ability and their talents. I think about a child with whom my son plays hockey. He was advanced to the level above for his third year of peanuts as his abilities far surpassed the abilities of the other children. Although he does seem to have a “natural ability” I also know that he eats, sleeps and dreams hockey. He is always out playing and practicing in the street. At other times, he is playing mini-sticks in the house. His abilities surpass the others because he practices all the time and puts in a tremendous effort. We all know that a combination of practice and effort will take anyone a long way in any area they choose.
I totally understand what you mean about a student’s innate ability and their talents. I think about a child with whom my son plays hockey. He was advanced to the level above for his third year of peanuts as his abilities far surpassed the abilities of the other children. Although he does seem to have a “natural ability” I also know that he eats, sleeps and dreams hockey. He is always out playing and practicing in the street. At other times, he is playing mini-sticks in the house. His abilities surpass the others because he practices all the time and puts in a tremendous effort. We all know that a combination of practice and effort will take anyone a long way in any area they choose. This should be a huge relief to parents with struggling children, knowing that there is always hope for their child to succeed.
Hi my name is Nicky Minnabarriet. I am a District Inclusion Specialist
Chapter 1
I really find it interesting that upon entering school children have a 100% growth mindset and as they move through the system a fixed mindset starts to set in and starts to “take over” their growth mindset. As I read this chapter I am not only reminded of the importance of how students view themselves but, also how we, as educators, view our students. If we have a growth mindset view towards our students I think it assists them in having a growth mindset about themselves as well.
Chapter 2
Mindsets have impacted our district in a big way. We have changed the format of our IEPs to be focused on what a student can do and growing from there, we also have created a reading continuum that is based on a growth mindset. We have had professional development opportunities for Administrators and support staff on mindsets. Overall, I think that a growth mindset is embedded throughout our district and in our schools.
Thank you for sharing Nicky!
I would be very interested to see one of your districts IEPs (names and private information removed of course!). The concept of discussing what a child can do and growing from these rather than looking at where they are struggling and trying to improve their skills in that area seems like a welcome and wonderful idea.
An IEP focused on a list of what the student can do sounds like a welcome addition to an otherwise overwhelming load of paperwork.
We are on of the pilot districts using Shelley Moore’s IEPs. I believe they are posted on her blog if you want to check them out!
Hi! I am Robin Coogan-Penner and I am a grade 6/7 French Immersion Teacher who is taking inclusion courses.
I was also interested to read that students enter school with a 100% growth mindset and that it slowly decreases over the time they are in school. I definitely see this in the upper grades that I teach, especially in math. I have a lot of students who say that they just aren’t good in that subject and then they “check out” of the activity or are so disheartened that they don’t even want to try. I am trying to show them that I believe in them and that they can do it to help them, but it is a hard battle as they have had a lot more time to live in that fixed mindset.
I am excited to see more and more information about growth and fixed mindsets and about teaching them to our children. I did a little activity about the brain and how it learns during a health class and I talked about mindsets. Many of the students were surprised by that and I could see some of them changing their minds about themselves and their abilities. I saw hope and continue to see it. I placed emphasis on the fact that it might be easier or faster for one person, but that everyone is able to achieve success.
It is wonderful to see that hope isn’t it! I saw the same reaction with some of my grade 5 students. It feels as though some of them have a much more entrenched fixed mindset and so it is harder to change, but I cannot lose hope. In fact I did see one student, probably with the most entrenched fixed mindset of the class, change her pessimistic attitude toward one project and she actually began listening to her partner, took some advice and had major success in a project that, until that point, had been failing. It was so uplifting! She even recognized the importance of her change and saw the difference in the results. It is so important to never give up hope. Everyone has the possibility of changing their mindset if given the chance and the proper encouragement and guidance.
Hello all, my name is Jacqui Ferguson and I teach in Williams Lake. I am the LRT at Columneetza Middle School. We have several PLCs being done at our school focusing on the Healthy Mind. We are teaching our children to be Pro Active and start with a goal in mind. This attaches nicely to Mindset. We are all struggling with students who have turned off and have disengaged from education. We keep trying to encourGe them on and many feel they are not buying into their futures. We must start with a mindset in the early stages of education some that by Grade 12 they are strong reliable and active members of the community. Interested in the next chapters.
I totally agree Jacqui! We definitely need to begin early while there is still some natural growth mindset within the child. Much easier to continue with what you already have than to try to change it later on in life!
Chap 1 & 2
I am an Integration Support Teacher but have been classroom and support in intercity for the last 16 years. The part of the chapter and introduction to GM vs FM that stood out for me was the difference I see in my past and present school in school culture, comradely and basic joy and hope. A growth mindset is necessary For a cohesive community… Work, play or home. I also appreciated the recognition that we are discussing ALL learners, not simply the low struggling ones.
In reflecting on my own mindset, I am fixed in things I am not truly knowledgeable about, and things I have not experienced (fixing a car, etc. I believe I can’t do these competently… , or that my teenager can’t either), where my growth mindset is evident in things that I am very much experience in… Cooking, baking, sewing, teaching, remediating, adapting, social and professional).
I am encouraged by the forthright nature of these first two chapters and I am inspired to bring this to staff as a reading club book and small collective of like minded educators to attempt to bring joy and hope back into our school.
I am super excited that you are looking to bring this information forward to others in your district. Thank you for your comments!
Hello All – Mary Chiappetta here from Victoria BC. I am enjoying “Mindsets in the Classroom” thank you to the TIE-BC team for suggesting it and initiating the Book Club.
The first two chapters of Ricci’s book have encouraged me to go back to Carl Dweck and David Sousa’s books as well as the MindUp Curriculum and cross-reference. In her book “Mindset” Carol Dweck talks about how teaching with a growth mindset “under the guidance of teachers who taught for improvement” pg.66 made a difference in student achievement. Sousa and Carol Ann Tomlinson in their book “Differentiation and The Brain” agree that a growth mindset “are particularly pertinent to the learning environment in differentiated classrooms”
Bravo Nicky – your district seems to be listening to the research and acting on it (with your new IEP format and reading continuum). Which district are you teaching in Nicky?
I particularly liked Ricci’s comment on pg. 7 “Cognitive ability tests measure developed ability.”
As well as on page 24 “Think about how students are placed in instructional groups and classes. Does the current student placement system contribute to a growth culture within the school?” Both thoughts certainly something to reflect on.
Hi Mary,
I am from SD-74 (Gold Trail).
Thanks Nicky – I’ll have a look at your district’s website
Thanks you Mary! I am glad that you too read “Mindset” by Carol Dweck. I too began with that book before choosing to take a look at this book. Both of the quotes you picked out from Ricci’s book are definitely points to ponder. I have questioned our placement of students within the system for years. Especially with regard to the starting age of students. It does not seem that every 5 year old should begin kindergarten. Parents should not feel obligated to enter their children into school if they do not feel that they are ready. We have seen so many students enter into the system before they are ready, only for them to quickly develop a fixed mindset because the activities are too difficult for their developmental level. It would be wonderful if we could have mixed age classes with students containing similar learning needs. Organization of classrooms could be so much different. Since we do not have any experience with anything other than what we currently have, I am not sure that this situation would work either. I guess we shall see what the future hold for education.
Hello;
Marian Busfield from an independent school here in the Okanagan, Vernon to be exact.
Chapter one is kind of preaching to the choir here. I agree with Corinne’s statement about focusing on ALL learners, and not just the “struggling” ones. In our grade 3 class I have seen our most gifted students struggle (to the point of tears) with spatial activities such as tangrams, while our most challenged student leads the way in helping others with that activity. These moments are such teachable opportunities, and correctly supported these moments can facilitate growth mindsets for both students.
Thank you Marian for your comments! I too have seen students who are very strong in one area crumble when it comes to another. It is very important that we cultivate a growth mindset in these students so as to not discourage them from learning. It would be the fear that if they have a fixed mindset, they will stop making an effort in the areas in which they are strong as well as the ones in which they are weak.
Both of your comments have made me question Giftedness in general. I wonder if students with a “gifted” designation have more of a fixed mindset than other students? What do you think?
I do feel that students with a gifted designation (or even those students who believe they are gifted) have a more fixed mindset. I see it in my own classroom on a daily basis. I have one student who does well academically but he puts in just enough effort to get the assignment finished to get the marks. He always puts in minimal time and, unless he is told to do something, will not go back and give more effort to any of his assignments. I also have another student who self-proclaims to be “smarter” than most of the students in the classroom. She does not like to do group work because she feels that her partners will not do the work to her quality. She will take over the project so as to shut out her partners completely. However, when she comes to a challenge, instead of trying to solve the problem, she gives up and becomes very self-critical. Her mood sours and she is very difficult to reach with supports. She has gone so far as to physically turn her back on the group and project with crossed arms and declare that she “gives up”. A third child, who also self-proclaims to be the smartest student in the class, never hands in any homework. When he didn’t return a homework assignment and was asked to work on a second copy in class, maybe a more accurate view of why he did not hand in the homework came through. He really struggled with the assignment.
The same could be said for students with a learning disability too though. After experiencing so much frustration due to lack of proper support (either from undiagnosed learning disability or from simple lack of support) some students simply give up and begin to use avoidance tactics or increase their behaviours to hide the fact that they cannot meet the expectations set out for them. It is important to meet the students where they are and build their skills. Which is why pre-assessment is so very important.
Hi Everyone!
I’m sorry for my late posts! I received my book via snail mail a week ago, so I am playing catch up! 🙂
My name is Brandi, and I am a Resource Teacher at a Tier 1, inner city school in Prince George, BC. I teach ELL, Learning Assistance and Support. I initially read Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset” before I was introduced to “Mindsets in the Classroom” by Mary Cay Ricci. What really stood out for me in Chapter 1 was the conversation around ‘growing school communities that embrace a growth mindset….’ In the past, I would view a fixed mindset as a road block, but now I see it as an opportunity to not only teach a growth mindset within the classroom, but also as a community. Last September, our administration challenged our growth mindset with a school wide initiative, and we all created “I can’t yet…” statements for the entire school to see. It shows our school community; staff, parents, students, visitors that we have set up these individual goals. On a personal level for me, it was (and is) to complete the Sun Run this year on April 23rd. I have been carrying around a Sun Run brochure for 18 years, and I have never competed in it. I wanted my students to see that I haven’t yet competed in it, but I will! On a professional level, I had a fixed mindset on my ability to step away from being a Resource Teacher and step into being a classroom teacher last year. I felt that my classroom management would be terrible because my teaching career had always been at some Support level. I thought, what am I going to do with these kids?! My answer…Everything! It was important for me to show my students that a growth mindset gives us more opportunities to grow and succeed together.
I am so glad you are able to join us! Sounds like you have already begun your Growth Mindset journey and are well on your way! I love the idea of making an “I can’t yet…” board! I may have to steal it for my staff! I am going to bring this book to my administrators as a potential growth area for the staff…I would love to see this board as a kick-off!
Hello Book Study group. I’m even later in joining the group due to some unfortunate medical issues, but have now received my book and digging into my book.
My name is Arden and I’m a District Integration Support Teacher in Langley.
In reading the first two chapters I’ve come to the realization that I need to work on my encouragement responses to students, teachers, my own children and especially my grandchildren in order to help each of them develop more of a growth mindset rather than allowing them to become more “fixed”. I would say that in developing my own growth mindset would be a good step in the right direction as I need to practice what I hope to demonstrate. I have very fixed ideas of things that I can and can’t do and need to remember to add the word “yet” to my personal statements of ability.
I don’t know how I’ll be able to get teachers to adopt the growth mindset and use it in their classrooms, …… yet.
I am so very glad you have been able to join us Arden! I too have been developing my growth mindset. It is not an easy task, but it is definitely worth the work!
Hi all,
Growth mindset has assisted me this summer due in part to the massive wildfires around the Cariboo. I have been using the statement, “What will be will be.” All summer I have been on Alert or being told to get out and head to my hometown of Kamloops. I am heading back to school with the idea that simmer went too fast and I really didn’t get much of a vacation. Oh well! What will be will be.
I am a Middle School Spec Ed teacher and I am always frustrated when I get my students and they already have a fixed mindset that they are (words I’ve heard) “stupid, retarded, not ever going to learn, never in the class, etc” By they time they head to the H.S. I try my mightiest to have them saying, “I can do anything and all I need to do is take little steps to be successful.”
Chapter 1 and 2 was a great read reminding me that my goals and pathways for the most venerable students is so important. All students can achieve if we give them the right tools to do so. We are the oath – RARA and as the student develops they become the coach too to their fellow peers. As we develop their mindset we develop their overall enjoyment in achieving. We see them thriving and trying. We see them taking responsibility for their work and asking to do more and achieve higher standings.
Chapter 1 and 2 sent me back into the mindset – what can I improve on and how can I help my students to achieve their best. I must say the little lessons and ideas do improve the read. We can all tweet and change them to fit our grades and students. Enjoyable read and great comments above. Enjoy your back to school days and let’s grow minds.