We cannot think about a focus on growth without starting with a “Growth Mindset”. This is THE integral component to thinking and living growth, and it is more often exposed through a “fixed mindset”. We've all heard defeatist self-talk from our kids: "I'm terrible at maths." "I'll never be a good writer." "I hate history." Of course, such beliefs make learning these subjects all the more difficult. But sometimes positive self-talk can also be problematic: "I'm great at maths." "I'm a natural-born writer." "I know everything about history." What's wrong with such statements? Like the negative self-talk, these statements limit learning because they create a fixed mindset. So, what are these fixed and growth mindsets? Students succumb to a fixed mindset when they think that their intelligence and talent are set: They are either smart or not, either talented or not. A student who says, "I'm terrible at math" will avoid the subject whenever possible. A student who says, "I'm great at math" will probably not work very hard to improve. On the other hand, students develop a growth mindset when they realise that intelligence and talent grow through practice, patience, and hard work. Conversely, intelligence and talent grow "rusty" from neglect. Rather than focusing on a fixed level of ability, students with a growth mindset focus on continual improvement. Carol Dweck of Stanford University defines these beliefs in her book Mindset and shows how they impact learning: (Carol’s TED talk here)
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