To What Extent Does Implementing a Growth Mindset and Empowering Praise Affect the Attitude of My Students and their Academic Achievement?

Seminar Title

To What Extent Does Implementing a Growth Mindset and Empowering Praise Affect the Attitude of My Students and their Academic Achievement?

Growth Mindset and Effective Feedback

7th Grade

Middle School

Mathematics

All Disciplines

If you want your students to feel excitement, engaged in learning, and stop asking you “when am I going to use this in the ‘real world?’” then you are ready for a growth mindset! Through research and activities from Jo Boaler, Carol Dweck, and others, I have instilled a drive in my students to explore new and challenging learning. With an upward trend in final trimester grades and overwhelmingly positive attitudes, my students have shown me that learning with a growth mindset is the only way to learn.

“I just don’t have a math brain!” This is a phrase that I have heard all too often in the classroom, in the hallways and even in the staff lounge; I am fed up! Math is in need of a new outlook on mindset. This year I implemented a growth mindset and revamped my retaking philosophy. Growth mindset is the acceptance that we are born with the capacity to learn and grow no matter what. This concept is not only for the struggling learner, but also for the upper level learners who often are afraid to make mistakes. To combat this fear we had the mantra “Mistakes make your mind grow!” The students need to engage in challenging problems that give all students the ability to grow and learn from their own mistakes. We began the year with an introduction to growth mindset, then I transformed this idea into a more structured retake policy. Throughout the trimester we created extension/retake days where students were pulled into separate groups and dove deeper into relearning, extending and reassessments. I compared the students attitudes at the beginning of the year to the end of trimester one, a mindset score and the final trimester grades of this year to last year. Because of the high success and change in attitudes of my students, I will continue to use and learn more about growth mindset to further my students success.