Psychologist Carol Dweck developed the concept of the growth mindset. In recent years, the schools and colleges have started teaching their students about this mindset.
According to this theory, people make self-perceptions or self-theory about themselves. Dweck has given a brief distinction between ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindsets.
In a fixed mindset, people believe their essential qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are only fixed traits. They spend their time documenting intelligence or talent instead of developing them.
But, in a growth mindset, people believe that their abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work; they love learning, and they learn quickly. They love to adopt new opportunities and face all the obstacles on their way. Fixed mindset drives motivation and achievement. Growth mindset also leads to winning mindset which can not only boost efficiency and productivity but helps you cope the stress and stay happy even in most difficult circumstances.
8 Ways to Develop Growth Mindset
Use these tactics to foster a growth mindset in your students, helping them cultivate their talents and abilities in and out of the classroom. You should see a positive attitude building new skills and taking different challenges.
Keep the moral high
Always teach students to have one alternate or backup plan ready for them, and try to create new ideas every time. This can push them towards developing a growth mindset.
New teaching strategies
Make a new strategy for the students so that they learn something new out of it. Try to give projects in a group or a pair. Use videos, audio, presentations, documentary, etc. in lessons. Keep a track on every student and take a test or cross-examine them to understand their mindset. By expanding your teaching tactics, students sharpen their skills to face obstacles.
Use ‘yet’ more often
The word ‘yet’ can change a depressing or negative sentence into a positive one, promoting growth. The word works well with the sentences that include ‘can’t or won’t’ because it reverses the negative meaning. Share this trick with students to keep them motivated about their work.
Replace the word ‘failing’ with the word ‘opportunity.’
The word ‘fail or failure’ is in itself a negative or devastating. Teach your students to replace it with the word opportunity or challenge. When someone makes a mistake, they haven’t failed but has learned something new. So teach them to learn something new everytime they think they haven’t reached their goal.
Celebrate growth
Teach your students to celebrate growth and progress with others. It gives happiness and positive vibes.
Learn from others
It’s not always wise to compare yourself to others, but it is important to realize that humans share the same weaknesses.
Make a new goal
Never stop learning, once you are over with your exams doesn’t mean you stop being interested in that subject. Growth-minded people know how to create new goals and keep themselves stimulated constantly.
Effort
Praising effort is shown to have a long-lasting effect. Try to give in your best without thinking about the result. The effort pays in the end. If still, you get failure take it as a challenge to think something new and brings out a new strategy to get a positive result. Putting in effort and learning thoroughly is what people with the growth mindset do.
Bottom Line
You may not include all of the above at one point in time. Therefore, it is best to prioritize the ideas and start implementing the most important strategies. Gradually, you can include more ideas and inculcate growth mindset as a habit in your students.