Everyone is talking about Growth Mindset in their classrooms! But what is it exactly?
A mindset is a person’s way of thinking.
Those with a fixed mindset believe their abilities are the way that they are, and there is no way they can be changed. They think that talent comes naturally, not due to hard work and persistence.
Those with a growth mindset believe they can learn to become smarter if they persist and work hard. These types of people view challenges and mistakes as opportunities to become better learners and to improve their skills.
One of the most important factors when developing a Growth Mindset in your students is acknowledging and understanding The Power of Yet!
The longer we teach (and the older we get), the more firmly we believe that mindset plays a significant role in success. That includes the smaller and larger achievements of the students in our classrooms.
The Power of Yet is a reminder that we need to persevere when we are struggling or are finding something challenging. You may have heard of encouraging ‘grit’ among your students (which is the same concept). It is all about embracing mistakes and making them a normal part of the learning process.
Actionable tips for instilling the Power of Yet in your classroom:
-
- For younger students, always remind them that mistakes help us to learn and good learners make mistakes! For older students, combat negative self-talk such as, “I can’t do this”, and add YET to their statement. For example: “I can’t do this YET”. Remind them that not being able to do something is only temporary and their hard work will pay off.
-
-
- Praise students for their work ethic not purely the result. Model and show the students that their focus, dedication, and effort have equal or more importance than the outcome itself.
-
-
-
-
- Have the word ‘YET’ displayed in your classroom, so it is continuously in front of your students. Share personal stories with your students or discuss current news stories where perseverance, grit and the power of yet has contributed to the success.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Celebrate students when they display perseverance and grit in their learning. Dedicate lessons throughout the year to developing their growth mindsets. It may come in the form of literature (click here to find some of our favourite growth mindset themed picture books), during morning meetings or as individual lessons.
-
-
-
By adding the word ‘yet’ to a statement, it makes it a possibility. This possibility leads to self-belief, and that is how we begin to foster a mindset of growth and ultimately, success! Furthermore, it is a skill that prepares our students for life as a future adult.
Here at Rainbow Sky Creations, we are passionate about helping teachers and students discover how a growth mindset attitude can change learning outcomes and the learning experience! See our other blog posts about Growth Mindset below.
Need some resources about the Power of Yet? Check out our classroom posters and matching no-prep activities:
We are super passionate about Growth Mindset but we know it is not easy implementing all these new things into the classroom. So we wrote a free guide for teachers to help! It is full of actionable tips, strategies and advice to help you get started or even level up your Growth Mindset game. Grab your free copy here.
Want to learn more about Growth Mindset?
Celebrating Student success in your classroom
3 books to support Growth Mindset
How I upped my Growth Mindset game in the classroom
