How do you foster a growth mindset in your students?

How do you foster a growth mindset in your students? Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges and learn from mistakes. It is a key skill for success in school and life. In this article, you will learn some practical strategies to teach resilience to your students and help them develop a positive attitude towards learning.

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1 What is a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is the belief that you can improve your abilities and intelligence through effort and feedback. It is the opposite of a fixed mindset, which is the belief that you are born with a certain level of talent and cannot change much. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, while people with a fixed mindset avoid them or give up easily. Research has shown that a growth mindset can boost academic achievement, motivation, and self-esteem.

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2 How to model a growth mindset

One of the best ways to teach resilience to your students is to model a growth mindset yourself. You can do this by sharing your own struggles and successes, and how you overcame them with hard work and perseverance. You can also praise your students for their effort, progress, and strategies, rather than their innate ability or results. For example, instead of saying "You are so smart", you can say "You worked really hard on this problem" or "You used a great method to solve this". This way, you encourage your students to value the process of learning, rather than the outcome.

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Paul Casey, M.S.

Higher Education, Employer Engagement, Career Development, Sports Business, Youth Development
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In my experience with the Northeast Resiliency Consortium we determined that the skills most critical to resilience in students and entry level workers are adaptability, self awareness, critical thinking, reflective learning and collaboration. Faculty could support the development of these skills through a variety of teaching methods.

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3 How to create a growth mindset culture

Another important step to teach resilience to your students is to create a growth mindset culture in your classroom. This means fostering a supportive and collaborative environment, where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, and feedback is constructive and respectful. You can do this by setting high but realistic expectations, providing multiple ways to demonstrate learning, and celebrating diversity and individuality. You can also use activities and resources that promote a growth mindset, such as stories, videos, posters, and games.

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4 How to teach resilience skills

Teaching your students to develop a growth mindset is essential, as they will need to acquire specific skills to cope with challenges and setbacks. Encourage your students to set SMART goals and break them down into smaller steps, so they can focus on their progress rather than their failures. Additionally, guide them in using positive and realistic self-talk, rather than negative and irrational self-talk. Help them understand the problem-solving process, such as identifying the problem, brainstorming solutions, evaluating pros and cons, choosing the best option, and implementing it. This will help them develop critical thinking and creativity skills. Lastly, show them how to use healthy coping strategies, such as breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, journaling, and seeking support. This will help them manage their emotions and stress levels in a healthy way.

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5 How to assess and monitor resilience

Finally, you need to assess and monitor your students' resilience and growth mindset, and provide feedback and support accordingly. You can do this by using formal and informal assessments, such as surveys, quizzes, reflections, portfolios, and observations. You can also use rubrics, checklists, or scales to measure your students' progress and achievements. You can also use feedback and coaching sessions to help your students identify their strengths and areas for improvement, and set new goals and action plans.

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Marc W. Halpert

LinkedIn™ laureate; 1:1 coach, group trainer, author, speaker, strategic marketing consultant, over 14 years. I help serious professionals tell WHY they do what they do, making them "amazing-er" than their competitors!
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I have created a set of 20 open-ended questions to stimulate conversation with my coaching clients, each hard-hitting in that they have to open their minds to answer, in ways they have not had to in their past. Each question can evoke yet another aspect of "why them," to enahnce their work for my curriculum, expand and explore new ways of showing themselves as great candidates for whatever they seek professionally. It's all designed to get them out of their comfort zone and into a better frame of reference about themselves.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Resiliency

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How do you foster a growth mindset in your students?

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1 What is a growth mindset?

2 How to model a growth mindset

3 How to create a growth mindset culture

4 How to teach resilience skills

5 How to assess and monitor resilience

6 Here’s what else to consider

Resiliency

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