TL;DR:

• Strategies to model and empower a growth mindset among your students.
• An attached student graphic to help develop a growth mindset in your class.

Now more than ever, we must model and empower a growth mindset amongst educators and students. Teachers can empower a growth mindset by discussing examples, modeling the language in questions and feedback, and by doing activities that include growth mindset skills.  Noted below are two images and explanations that can guide meaningful reflection about a growth mindset.

Rather than only displaying a growth mindset poster or quotation, teachers can empower their students to have a growth mindset by explicitly teaching specific feedback, questions, and self-talk.

Teachers can empower their students to have a growth mindset by explicitly teaching specific feedback, questions, and self-talk. Click To Tweet

The feedback and questions should eventually lead to self-talk by students as well as students saying the same feedback and questions that teachers are modeling. Noted on the graphic are my current favorite questions, feedback, and self-talk examples to share with students.

This second image empowers students to analyze growth mindset skills.  Students can reflect about their school year by completing a growth mindset analysis.  Students briefly describe a challenge, risk, feedback they received, and then write about either their passion, reflection, effort, or persistence. 

Finally, they should summarize their growth or success. Students can share and discuss with classmates or share online with an authentic audience. The next step is to begin the process again as students reflect about a family member, a famous person, or a character from a book that they read.

I would love to hear feedback and questions via Twitter (@Erik_Youngman) as we collaboratively empower a growth mindset.  Please also share student work samples of the “Growth Mindset Analysis” activity to inspire student exploration and reflection.

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About Erik Youngman

Erik Youngman is an education leader who is passionate about topics such as homework, grading, leadership, and growth mindset. He recently completed his nineteenth year in educational leadership. Erik is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for Libertyville District 70 in Libertyville, Illinois. Previous education experiences include being a principal in Libertyville as well as an assistant principal and teacher in Gurnee, Illinois.

Erik earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Education Specialist Degree, and Master of Science in Education from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts from Augustana College. Please follow and contact Erik via Twitter: @Erik_Youngman.