Explaining mindsets
Presentation at 8:00
Introduction - What do I mean by mindset? (10 mins)
Which do you agree with more?
1. A student's intelligence/talent/work ethic/etc. is something inherent and fixed that can't be changed too much. While a student maybe to able to learn new things, make minor improvements or try a bit harder here or there, it cannot change the base intelligence, talent
2. A student can always change his or her intelligence/talent/work ethic.
If you agreed with number 1 more than number 2, you lean toward the fixed mindset. If you agreed with number 2 more than number 1, you lean toward the growth mindset. Now, no one is perfect and most people lie somewhere in between but this presentation is about changing not only our own mindsets from fixed to growth but ultimately our students' mindset.
I know these last few years have been hard on you all. Cutbacks, low test scores and an overflow of students make your job incredibly difficult. That is why we need to change now more than ever.
taken from pg. 12 of Mindset
Video exercise
Fixed mindset: A belief that your qualities are carved in stone (pg. 6)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOe_utzrsRU
- What do most of the members think of destroying the ring?
-What are some fixed mindsets you can find among the members of the council?
-How do those mindsets affect the progress of the task at hand?
-What does Frodo do differently?
Growth mindset: You gain your qualities through effort (pg. 7)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbzEiAj02ks
-What does failure mean to Mr. Jordan?
-Considering, Mr. Jordan's reputation, do you think failure should define an individual more than success?
Transition into 5 main points...
1. Inherent Talent and Intelligence (5 mins)
- Mozart
- Composer known for seemingly spontaneous composition
- almost no drafts of pieces
- Beethoven
- Composer known for going through a huge amount of drafts and versions of his work before finally deciding on one
- Only has one opera, 3 different versions, took him 10 years
-Aren't both these men geniuses?
-Did Mozart actually compose spontaneously? No, he simply did most of his work with his piano and his phonographic memory.
-Both men put in endless hours of work starting at a very young age
-Both men took their work incredibly seriously and tried things they originally said they'd never do and always strove to out do themselves.
Lose the idea that if someone isn't inherently smart or intelligent, that they can never be good at it. Kids need to know that they have to start somewhere and if they give it a full, honest effort, they can succeed.
pg. 67
2. Confidence (5 mins)
- Siegfried is a mythical figure who was born without fear
- Unfortunately, we can't be mythical figures.
- Fixed mindsets take away our kids confidence because it encourages low risk, "sure thing" efforts.
- Small set backs make fixed mindset people lose confidence
Confidence can be re-instilled in our kids when effort, not just success, it rewarded. Effort is the important thing here. Our kids should learn to jump into new experiences and not only persevere through it even if they are bad at it but eventually learn to persevere because they are bad at it.
pg. 51-53
3. Labels (10 mins)
Positive labels
- Kids become afraid of losing it. Low risk syndrome kicks in.
- Sometimes kids even lie to maintain their good label
- "I don't belong here"
Negative labels
- obviously negative labels are going to be bad
- distracts them, provides an invisible, unnecessary obstacle before they even start
- Talk about being labeled a "low-performing school"
pg. 71-76
4. Bullying and Shyness (5 mins)
- Shyness affects fixed mindset students more often and more negatively
- Shyness keeps fixed mindset people out of social situations
- Transition into Eric and Dylan and bullying
- Bullying is a form of a fixed mindset: judging, punishing, labeling
- School shootings are also a result of a fixed mindset by the victims
- Growth mindset kids often see to the real reason for bullying and don't blame inwardly
- This is essential to education, having kids who are comfortable and not afraid to go to school
pg. 163-169
5. Stretching beyond the impossible (5 mins)
- With this new mindset, let's thrive on challenge. Are we where we want to be right now? No? Good.
- Start asking yourself and your kids "Well, why not?"
- All of you have overcome major challenges to get here (give it to the audience, take some examples)
- End with Q&A