Mindset: Seeing Failure as a Pathway to Success

I had the privilege of attending the Interface Conference at Tan-Tar-A in February. I have learned so many new techniques and activities, but one idea has stuck out to me and should be applied across all areas of education. How can we cultivate a growth mindset in our students AND staff?

If you have a couple minutes please listen to this story from NPR: "Struggle for Smarts". This is one of the many research articles that has increased my passion for this topic. When students are in class, do they ask questions about the process or the answer? People with growth mindsets know that intelligence is not fixed. They realize, they are “not smart or dumb." I once had a student shutdown in class and need time to cool off in a safe seat after receiving the following feedback “your diagram looks good, but let's add more detail.” At the end of the class period he told me he was tired of teachers telling him about all of his mistakes. Students with fixed mindsets really think that if I'm not smart, I will make mistakes. Our students believe they are either smart or dumb, this thinking is a problem and needs to be challenged at home and school. We are teaching in a time when students desire immediate feedback and answers. This is not always a bad thing! Our students can reach and grow by answering questions they care about, however as a teacher you have to remember they need clear, concise feedback. If you give students a paper-based formative assessment, grade it within a week and return it to the owner, are most kids going to care anymore? (The answer is no if you were wondering). This year I have been using more electronic formative assessments to receive immediate feedback. I'm actually able to correct misconceptions right after a quiz in the same class! This is helping the mindset of some students because it is fresh to them, specific, and they still care. It has helped me realize that even though I may share the definition of fertilization many times during the day, the students in one class have only heard it a couple times. Timely feedback can help promote a growth mindset and student learning. Your students will grow and achieve so much more when you keep the content fresh. Push your students to have a positive struggle in your classes. Capitalize on failure. Remember, "you have only failed when you have given up...until then it is learning!" Photo: cc licensed by Allan Ajifo