What is the power of yet? It is the main characteristic of growth mindset. It tells us that if we do not currently understand how to do something or find something challenging, we do not give up, instead we understand that we do not know how to do it YET. In our classrooms we see examples of growth mindset and fixed mindset each day. Students who demonstrate a growth mindset have much greater learning potential than a student demonstrating fixed mindset. The student demonstrating a growth mindset does not flee in the face of challenge. Although something might be challenging, and even frustrating, the student with the growth mindset will persevere and use known strategies to further develop neural pathways, thereby creating new strategies. The student with the growth mindset understands that making mistakes is part of the learning process and is, in fact, essential in order to learn. This applies to all aspects of life, not just academic progress. The student with the fixed mindset believes that he/she should be able to solve all problems immediately without struggle. If something proves to be challenging, the student with the fixed mindset tends to shut down, to assume that he/she is not smart enough. As such, challenges are avoided and often the student will use distractions to draw attention away from the fear of failure that is present. In our classrooms, this often comes out as behaviour or blame.
How can we help our children understand that learning is messy and that it is completely normal to make mistakes in the process of learning? What can we do as adults? Dr. Carol Dweck, author and researcher in the area of mindset, offers many different strategies. A major one that is easy to implement is to look at the way in which we praise our children. Are we telling them each time they do something right or well that they are smart? Or when they do something well or master something are we praising them for using great strategies, for sticking with it or for the effort that led them to a great result? The first manner of praise is a fixed mindset. A child who hears continuously how smart he or she is will eventually be afraid to try something new because he/she will be afraid to fail. The child who is praised for effort will understand that it is hard work and perseverance that leads to success and will therefore try all the harder in the face of challenge.
Many of our students come to us already well formed in a fixed mindset position. They present to us with a dislike of school, sometimes behavioural challenges and often with social challenges as they have difficulty with flexibility and understanding other perspectives. You can start to help your child by focusing on praise for effort. You can also ask the following great question each day:
What was the best part of your day?
As parents we often ask the question ...How was your day?...For our students who are experiencing challenge and perhaps demonstrating a fixed mindset, this question is an opening to give a litany of all kinds of terrible things each day. Depending on the reaction of his/her parent, the child can actually come to think that the only thing that mom or dad wants to hear is the negative and so this is what is relayed.
The question "What was the best part of your day?" leads students to have to reflect on something that was good. It then provides an opening for parents to ask, "What made that part of the day so good?". This, in turn, leads to opportunities for parents to praise effort and perseverance.
The following link provides a short video by Dr. Dweck explaining mindset.
The power of yet
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