Every year when teachers get their class list for the following school year, we start planning in our minds about how we can reach this future group of students. We think about what worked well (and what didn’t work well) in the past year. We think about new strategies, lessons, and activities that we can use to help facilitate learning with our next class.
A few years ago, as I was preparing to teach Grade 2, I looked at my new class list and recognized some familiar names. One name in particular got me thinking about how I would be able to help that learner. You see, that student had some difficulties with learning and as a result, was also struggling with low self-esteem. It’s not easy seeing your peers learn new concepts that you consistently have a hard time understanding. When I saw the name, I knew that I had to focus on building self-esteem and to help shift their thinking in order to help create a space for learning and growing.
Enter Growth Mindset. I was determined to find a way to help that particular student from the very beginning of the school year. Once I learned more about Growth Mindset, I knew that it would not only (hopefully) encourage that student in question, but also benefit all of my students. In my mind, it was worth the effort to teach lessons on Growth Mindset and just watch what happens.
Well, I’m happy to say that it not only helped that child’s self-esteem, but it also strengthened the self-esteem of my other students! Growth Mindset revolutionized my classroom and helped me become a better teacher, too. It’s something that has also been a blessing to me personally as well. I am truly looking forward to exploring and sharing more about Growth Mindset through my Minds to Grow blog, website, and other social media.
A question I like to ask myself each day is, “How will I grow my mind today?” Sometimes it’s just a small task (e.g., learning a Life Hack) and other times, a larger one. I love learning new things and for that reason, it’s exciting to challenge myself to do things that I may have thought were too difficult to do in the past.
So I ask you today, too: How will you grow your mind today? What do you have in mind to try out that you’ve wanted to try, but perhaps felt too afraid to try in the past?
Let’s encourage each other and watch each other grow!
How will I grow my mind today?
