Understanding Mindsets

ABookTalkpresentinganoverviewof StanfordProfessorCarolDwecksresearch PresentedbyDawnBinder&PVUSDGATE th th November7 and15 ,2007

Mindset:TheNewPsychologyofSuccess 2006byCarolDweck,Ph.D. ISBN:1400062756NY:RandomHouse

GiftedandTalentedEducation PajaroValleyUnifiedSchoolDistrict
294GreenValleyRd.Watsonville,CA95076 (831)7862144~ www.pvusdgate.net

Whendoyoufeelsmart?
(fromCarolDwecksbook,Mindset:TheNewPsychologyofSuccess,page22) Weaskedpeople,rangingfromgradeschoolerstoyoungadults,Whendoyoufeelsmart?The differenceswerestriking.

Peoplewiththegrowthmindsetsaid:
Whenitsreallyhard,andItryreallyhard, andIcandosomethingIcouldntdo before. WhenIworkonsomethingalongtime andIstarttofigureitout

Peoplewiththefixedmindsetsaid:
ItswhenIdontmakeanymistakes. WhenIfinishsomethingfastandits perfect. Whensomethingiseasyformebutother peoplecantdoit.

Forpeoplewithagrowthmindsetitsnot about immediate perfection. Its about learning something over time confronting a challenge and making progress. People with a growth mindset thrivewhentheyrestretchingthemselves.

Itsaboutbeingperfectrightnow.Inthe fixed mindset its not enough just to succeed. Its not enough just to look smart ortalented.You haveto bepretty much flawless. And you have to be flawlessrightaway.Whendopeoplewith a fixed mindset thrive? When things are safelywithintheirgrasp.Ifthingsgettoo challenging when theyre not feeling smartortalentedtheyloseinterest.

Name_____________________________ Date___________________

Effort Rubric
Assignment: _________________________________ Directions: Circlethenumberthatbestdescribesyoureffortonthisassignment.

Iworkedonthetaskuntilitwascompleted.Ipushedmyselfto continueworkingonthetaskevenwhendifficultiesaroseora solutionwasnotimmediatelyevident.Ivieweddifficultiesthat aroseasopportunitiestostrengthenmyunderstanding. Iworkedonthetaskuntilitwascompleted.Ipushedmyselfto continueworkingonthetaskevenwhendifficultiesaroseora solutionwasnotimmediatelyevident. Iputsomeeffortintothetask,butIstoppedworkingwhen difficultiesarose. Iputverylittleeffortintothetask.

2 1

Scale: 4=excellent 3=good 2=needsimprovement 1=unacceptable Comments:_____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

F x d Mi d e ie n st
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NOTALL PRAISEJISGOODL BECAREFULWHENTELLINGKIDSTHEY'REGREAT

Educators commonly believe that praising student intelligence builds confidence and motivation to learn and also that intelligence is the major factor involved in scholastic achievement. Unfortunately, as Carol Dweck writes in Educational Leadership,thefirstbeliefisfalseandthesecondcanbepotentiallyharmful. Whilepraisemightnotservetheroleeducatorsbelieve,itisintricatelyconnected to how students view their intelligence. Some students believe their intellectual ability is fixed, and students with this fixed mindset become excessively concernedwiththeirlevelofintelligence.Typically,thesestudentswillseektasks that prove their intelligence and avoid ones that will not. Other students believe their intellectual ability is something they can develop through hard work and education commonlycalledagrowthmindset. Thesetwodifferentwaysofviewingintelligencecreatetwopsychologicalworlds. Inthe fixed mindset,studentsdo notrecoverwell fromsetbacks,andwhenthey are challenged they tend to decrease their efforts and consider cheating. By contrast, those of the growth mindset see effort as a positive thing, as it ignites theirintelligenceandcausesittogrow. ThroughDwecksresearchontheeffectsofpraiseinchildrenranginginagefrom fourthroughadolescenceinurban,ruralandsuburbansettings,shehasfoundthat praising students intelligence gives them a short burst of pride, but ultimately is followedbyalongstringofnegativeconsequences. Infact,praisingastudentsintelligenceformsavulnerablefixedmindset,instead of the intended motivation and resilience. Rather, educators should focus on providing effort or "process" praise, which fosters motivation by telling students whattheyhavedoneandwhattheyneedtodotocontinuetobesuccessful.

Available online: http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascdascdnavitem=/News %20%26%20Issues/Policy%20Publications/EDPolicy%20Update/

GrowYourMindset
FromCarolDwecksbook, MindSet:TheNewPsychologyofSuccess,pages205206 Every word and action from parent to child sends a message. Tomorrow, listen to whatyousaytoyourkidsandtuneintothemessagesyou'resending.Aretheymessages thatsay:YouhavepermanenttraitsandI'mjudgingthem?Oraretheymessagesthatsay youreadevelopingpersonandI'minterestedinyourdevelopment? How do you use praise? Remember that praising children's intelligence or talent, tempting as it is, sends a fixedmindset message. It makes their confidence and motivationmorefragile.Instead,trytofocusontheprocessestheyusedtheirstrategies, effort, or choices. Practice working the process praise into your interactions with your children. Watch and listen to yourself carefully when your child messes up. Remember that constructivecriticismisfeedbackthathelpsthechildunderstandhowtoFIXsomething. It'snotfeedbackthatlabelsorsimplyexcusesthechild.Attheendofeachday,write downtheconstructivecriticism(andtheprocesspraise)you'vegivenyourkids. Parentsoftensetgoalstheirchildrencanworktoward.Rememberthathavinginnate talentisnotagoal.Expandingskillsandknowledgeis.Paycarefulattentiontothegoals yousetforyourchildren. If you're a teacher, remember that lowering standards doesn't raise students' self esteem. But neither does raising standards without giving students ways of reaching them.Thegrowthmindsetgivesyouawaytosethighstandardsandhavestudentsreach them.Trypresentingtopicsinagrowthframeworkandgivingstudentsprocessfeedback. Ithinkyou'lllikewhathappens. Doyouthinkofyourslowerstudentsaskidswhowillneverbeabletolearnwell?Do theythinkofthemselvesaspermanentlydumb?Instead,trytofigureoutwhattheydon't understand and what learning strategies they don't have. Remember that great teachers believeinthegrowthoftalentandintellect,andarefascinatedbytheprocessoflearning. Are you a fixedmindset coach? Do you think first and foremost about your record andyourreputation?Areyouintolerantofmistakes?Doyoutrytomotivateyourplayers though judgment?Thatmaybewhat'sholdingupyourathletes. Try on the growth mindset. Instead of asking for mistakefree games, ask for full commitmentandfulleffort.Insteadofjudgingtheplayers,givethemtherespectandthe coachingtheyneedtodevelop. Asparents,teachers,andcoaches,ourmissionisdevelopingpeoplespotential.Let's useallthelessonsofthegrowthmindsetandwhateverelsewecantodothis.

Words That Encourage:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Wow! J Look at that! Tell me about it. Show me more. How did you do that? Lets see what you did. How do you feel about it? How did you figure that out? I see that you __________. (be specific) That looks like it took a lot of effort. How many ways did you try it before it turned out the way you wanted it? What do you plan to do next? That looks like it took so much work. Are you pleased with what you did?

Labels that Judge:

Smart Cute Great Fast Best Pretty Good Quick Clever Beautiful Lovely Intelligent Right Amazing The best Better than _________.
(another person)

Grow Your Mind-Set

What did you struggle with today? This is hard, this is fun, what should we do next? You can grow your intelligence You can learn. You can stretch. You can keep mastering new things. I dont think theres anything better in the world than a child hearing from a parent or teacher the words, Youll get there. Do you label your kids? This one is the artist and that one is the scientist. Next time, remember that youre not helping them even though you may be praising them. Remember praising kids ability lowered their IQ scores.

12. 13. 14.

Pac k et Cr ed it s
TonightsPresenter
DawnBinder,SupervisingTeacher PacificCoastCharterSchool 294GreenValleyRoad,Watsonville,CA95076 (831)7862100ext.6151 EMail:[email protected]

TheMindsetGraphic
ThecolorgraphicoftheFixedandGrowth MindsetswascreatedbygraphicartistNigel Holmes(www.nigelholmes.com)forasarticleinthe March/April2007issueofStanfordMagazine (www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2007/marapr/ features/dweck.html). Theaddedtextiswrittenby MichaelGrahamRichard(www.michaelgr.com).

PVUSDGATEServicesOffice
294GreenValleyRoad,Watsonville,CA95076 (831)7862144 (ornumbersbelow) LynOlson,GATECoordinator (831)7862100ext.2580 EMail:[email protected] TedAltenberg,GATEResourceTeacher (831)7862100ext.2581 EMail:[email protected] DavidManier,GATEResourceTeacher (831)7862100ext.2582 EMail:[email protected]

The Book
Mindset:TheNewPsychologyofSuccess 2006byCarolDweck,Ph.D. NY:RandomHouse(www.atrandom.com) ISBN1400062756