Hello Families,
The motto for this week is:
I exercise my brain each day.
The purpose of this insight is to move students from a fixed mindset; I am or am not good at this to a growth mindset; I get better with practice. Students may shy away from a challenge if they worry they may struggle or fail. However, if we help our students understand that learning is an exercise that makes us smarter rather than a confirmation of how smart we are or are not, it can increase their motivation to learn.
"We've seen profound effects on motivation - and performance and grades - by teaching students the basic premise of the growth mindset: that your intelligence is malleable, not just handed out at birth, and your intellectual growth is to a large degree in your own hands." -Carol Dweck, Ph.D
This concept is taken from Mindsets and Math/Science Achievement by Carol S. Dweck of Stanford University 2008. Dweck shared in her research that the way we praise our children can affect whether they develop a growth or fixed mindset: The key to instilling a growth mindset is teaching kids that their brains are like muscles that can be strengthened through hard work and persistence. So rather than saying, "Not everybody is good at math. Just do your best," a teacher or parent should say, "When you learn how to do a new math problem, it grows your brain." Or instead of saying, "Maybe math is not one of your strengths," a better approach is adding "yet" to the end of the sentence: "Maybe math is not one of your strengths yet."
Effort can change everything!
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Danna Evans
All Things E.Q.
West Wing School
Challenging today's students to achieve excellence through strong academics, athletics, and the arts.
Proud Home of the Mustangs!
An A+ School of Excellence
"A" Rated by the Arizona Department of Education
Deer Valley Unified School District