{"id":1314,"date":"2019-01-15T15:00:02","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T21:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=1314"},"modified":"2018-12-17T11:10:04","modified_gmt":"2018-12-17T17:10:04","slug":"learning-from-mistakes-the-importance-of-a-growth-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2019\/01\/15\/learning-from-mistakes-the-importance-of-a-growth-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning from Mistakes: The Importance of a Growth-Mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Adam Glodowski<\/em><\/p>\n

How many of us have tried to encourage our students (or children) to learn from their mistakes? Teachers often see mistakes as teachable moments and opportunities to help our students grow. But how do students see their mistakes? Most students \u201csee mistakes as flaws for which their teacher will judge them.\u201d (Willingham, Strayer, & Barlow, 2018, p.326)<\/p>\n

Alina Tugend, a New York Times<\/em> columnist and bestselling author of the book Better by Mistake<\/em>, wrote, \u201cWe are raising a generation of children . . . who are terrified of blundering, of failing, of even sitting with the discomfort of not knowing something for a few minutes.\u201d (Tugend, 2011) How do we help this generation learn from their mistakes? How can we help these students give themselves permission to even make mistakes?<\/p>\n

The answer lies in teaching students about a growth mindset. First, a quick look at what growth mindset is and how it differs from fixed mindset.<\/p>\n

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Table from https:\/\/wayfaringpath.coetail.com\/2014\/12\/02\/growth-vs-fixed-mindset-for-elementary-students\/<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Far too many children develop a fixed mindset during their early years. This can happen with the best of intentions. Many adults (parents and teachers) praise children for being \u201cso smart.\u201d This can lead to a fixed mindset way of thinking. Children equate smart with easy and often give up when challenging activities come along. I have heard parents say, \u201cI\u2019m just not a math person.\u201d This was said in a conference with their children present! This is classic fixed mindset. Their children heard that and learned something from their parents.<\/p>\n

Look again at the table above. What characteristics do you want in your students? I think teachers would readily agree that the qualities under growth mindset are desirable for learners. So, how do we create a growth mindset among our students?<\/p>\n

Many educators have written about this topic, but Professor Jo Boaler and Dr. Carol Dweck are perhaps the most prolific. What\u2019s Math Got to Do With It?<\/em> (Boaler, 2018) and Mathematical Mindsets <\/em>(Boaler, 2017) are excellent reads about applying this mindset to the math classroom. But these ideas are not limited to the math classroom; they are useful in all classrooms and even at home. How can we create a growth mindset culture?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    1. Change the way you praise students.\n