Thursday, February 16, 2017

We Promote the Importance of a Growth Mindset with Our TeachThought Blog Post

Marcus and I continue to stress the importance of cultivating a growth mindset in the classroom. Our latest blog post, which appears on the TeachThought website, stresses how developing a “mindset of practical optimism” is a key component of focusing on the brain’s capacity to change as a result of learning.

In the blog post, we talk about the “BrainSMART Big Five” approach, which identifies five key factors that teachers and students can use to improve engagement, motivation, and learning. These include: 

  • Keeping brain plasticity front of mind
  • Driving your brain with effective learning strategies
  • Asking for help when needed
  • Developing finishing power, and
  • Investing the necessary time and effort.
It’s also important not to overlook the power of praise. As Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset proves, praising students for “being smart” is generally not effective since it promotes a fixed mindset. Instead we should praise students when they employ strategies for developing a growth mindset, which includes: using metacognitive thinking skills, asking good questions when they need help, persisting through difficulties, and putting in the necessary effort to succeed.

Read the entire blog post, “How to Cultivate a Growth Mindset in Your Classroom,” at the TeachThought website.

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