Kelley the Counselor
Weekly Check In
Week 5- Growth Mindset
Hello Renbrook students and families!
I want to start this week's newsletter with three statements:
I can learn anything, because I was born to learn.
I can train my brain through practice.
I can choose my thoughts when things are challenging.
What went through your mind when reading the statements above? Have you ever told yourself these things? Maybe you’ve thought something along these lines before when school has been challenging, but now more than ever we need to remind ourselves all that we are capable of.
Distance learning is hard.
We’re not with our friends or teachers in person, and we’re stuck inside most of the day. We can contact our teachers for help of course, but not having them in person just isn’t the same. While it’s nice to have our own lunches when we’re hungry, we all greatly miss Mr. Zoni and crew’s cooking! In all seriousness though, all of our frustrations add up and many of us may be experiencing a wide range of emotions throughout the day which can be hard to manage.
As I mentioned last week regarding navigating relationships, we may be getting frustrated at little things that did not bother us previously and take our anger out on others. I wanted to build upon that this week and focus on how essential it is for us to have a growth mindset during this experience. Some of these frustrations might be from technology, confusion, this change in routine, or just the fact that this is harder than many of us thought it would be. We’ve all known school as being in the classroom and learning in-person and we were used to doing things that way. We’ve done things in person, on a schedule, and with classmates. When we are in class in a different format for the first time, none of those markers are there. Different doesn’t mean better or worse; it just means it’s a new experience, and new experiences are often uncomfortable.
I’m sure many of you are uncomfortable right now and it’s likely taking a toll on you whether you realize it or not. I do NOT want you to lose momentum. What we need to try and do is lean into this discomfort and embrace a growth mindset: “This is challenging right now, but if I keep trying, I will get better at it.” Don’t assume that you can’t succeed in the online space. The fastest way to get better is to video conference with your teachers and ask questions-- these meetings are more effective than email or messaging, because they allow you to get real-time feedback and solutions. The more you put into this experience, the more you will get out of it.
I am including several activities that you can fill out at home that reinforce this concept. Please think of it as a journal in a way, and challenge yourself to complete it when you are feeling low. Remember- this will take time. We are training our brain to think differently and that is no easy task. You must keep trying and believe that you are capable of so much more than you can even imagine.
Stay Strong Hawks!
Get Outside and Be Mindful!
You Can Learn Anything
My takeaways from the video (Repeat these to yourself often!)
- You can learn anything, because you were born to learn.
- Each wrong answer makes your brain a little bit stronger.
- Failure is just another word for growing when you keep going.
- You only have to know one thing: you can learn anything.
I Can't Do It...YET!
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Contact Me
Email: kreiss@renbrook.org
Website: https://teams.microsoft.com/_#/conversations/?ctx=chat
Location: Renbrook School, Albany Avenue, West Hartford, CT, USA