Read To Learn

UNIT 5: Growth Mindset and Critical Thinking

Overview:

What do we mean by ‘growth mindset’? 

A mindset is a way of thinking.  The way somebody thinks about something can have a big impact on their motivation and level of success in doing something. If we have a fixed mindset, we believe that our abilities, intelligence, and talents are limited, and that these abilities cannot be developed. If we have a growth mindset, we understand that our abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed and improved through hard work and effort, good teaching, using effective strategies and through determination.

Why do we want to introduce a growth mindset into our classrooms? 

Teachers who have a growth mindset see potential for progress, growth and learning in all of their learners. They are therefore better prepared to support their learners and to help them develop and to become critical thinkers. Teachers who have a growth mindset use positive language and encouragement, giving the learners tasks that are challenging, but achievable. They encourage their learners to think deeply about their learning and to come up with lots of questions and solutions.

Teachers who encourage growth mindsets and critical thinking also show the learners that ‘failure’ or ‘errors’ are opportunities to learn rather than something that needs to be punished. Learners with a growth mindset have a more positive attitude to learning. They often perform better in school and believe they can ‘grow’ their intelligence and abilities.

Growth mindset and positive behaviour management work in partnership to enable learners to succeed in class, in an environment where they feel motivated and encouraged. 

Here are simple ways of looking at Growth and Fixed mindsets:

GROWTH MINDSET: Believing you can get better at anything if you are determined, if you are given time to improve and if you approach it with different strategies and support.

FIXED MINDSET: Thinking that you will never be good at something no matter how hard you try

Reflection

Can you remember a time when someone encouraged you to keep trying and what a difference it made to how you felt about learning? 

Can you remember a time when someone made you feel like a failure even though you were trying hard? If so, can you remember how that affected your behaviour and actions?

It is useful to reflect on our own feelings and mindsets, to help us to feel empathy for our learners and therefore help them to grow to the best of their ability. Behaving with empathy and with a Growth Mindset are important aspects of education for peace.