The Importance of Growth Mindset
Many of you know about our monthly Facebook Live discussion at Essig Education Group's Facebook when we discuss various topics related to executive function. Our October event will be about growth mindset. My coaching team and I will explain the research of Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford University researcher and psychology professor. Growth mindset is having the belief that we are capable of learning (even things that feel hard or even impossible) with hard work and consistent effort. Dr. Dweck defines growth mindset as “people believing that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” (Dweck, 2015) She also states that not all people have growth mindsets; some have, what she calls, fixed mindsets or the belief that they can’t increase their ability. They are where they are and there is no room for improvement. These are the people who declare, “I am not good at math.” or “I can’t cook.” They aren’t willing to see that, with effort, they can improve.
The effort can be hard, but Dr. Dweck’s research also discusses the power of YET. Yet is a simple word and a simple addition to a fixed mindset statement that completely changes the tone and perspective. I can’t do this math problem is much harsher than I can’t do this math problem YET. Yet gives hope and encouragement; it can soften the fear of failure and allow for the hard work.
As our children return to in-person school, they need the power of yet more than ever. Anxiety is high as they reintroduce themselves to a more traditional school schedule, more traditional school start times that require more than just rolling out of bed and turning a camera on, in-person tests, longer school days with evening homework and more. Adding yet to our fearful thoughts and negative sentences can make positive changes more manageable. Students don’t need to feel that they are failures if they are not picking up exactly where they were before the pandemic. The last eighteen months have changed all of us. Instead, they just need to set goals, do their best and let the adults in their lives know when they need help or clarity. We, the adults in their lives, can also use yet to let them know that we only expect them to do their best with anything that they try. Effort needs to be acknowledged and even rewarded.
Much like our children, we might also be finding our current routines challenging. Many people are eager to “get back to normal”, but what is normal? Do we want to go back to just as it was before the pandemic? Many say no. The world was spinning very quickly before coming to an abrupt stop in March 2020. The Pandemic allowed everyone to evaluate what is really important. Many of us enjoyed more family time but struggled with the uncertainty of the situation. We are still living with uncertainty so adding yet to our sentences that question our abilities is important for everyone, not just our school aged children. Yet is a three-letter word with huge significance because it allows us to remember that many things are worth the wait and effort. I am not yet waking up easily gives hope while I’m not waking up on time is a negative absolute.
We need to be aware of our mindset and choose our actions to develop a growth mindset. As Dr. Dweck stated, “The mindsets change what people strive for and what they see as success. . . they change the definition, significance, and impact of failure. . . they change the deepest meaning of effort.” Our brains are plastic, meaning we can change and grow in what we know and understand. With hard work and sustained effort, there will be change. We can get there, even if we aren’t there yet.