Are you a growth-mindset or fixed-mindset teacher?

The great people at ReachOut Professionals have released a new resource that promotes effective student learning through the embracing of failure. Check it out via the following links!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Talking heads on breakfast television seem to constantly be going on about how our current generation of students have been brought up to never to be told they're wrong. Well, that may or may not be true. But I certainly know there are some excellent teachers and support services promoting the idea that our classrooms can (and should) be places where students feel safe enough to try, fail, learn and grow.

For instance, check out the fabulous new resource Embracing the F-Word from ReachOut Professionals which provides content and lesson plans using FAILURE to build resilience and motivation at school. Start by checking out the usual fact sheets on what a GROWTH MINDSET TEACHER looks like, compared to a FIXED MINDSET TEACHER

In their book, Switch: How to change things when change is hard, Chip and Dan Heath (2011) have a short test to find out what mindset you have:

Read the following four sentences, and write down whether you agree or disagree with each of them:

1. You are a certain kind of person, and there is not much that can be done to really change that.

2. No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially.

3. You can dothings differently, but the important parts of who you are can't really be changed.

4. You can always change basic things and the kind of person you are.

If you agreed with items 1 and 3, you're someone who has a "fixed mindset". And if you agreed with items 2 and 4, you tend to have a "growth mindset" (If you agreed with both 1 and 2, you're confused.)

Remember Seneca’s quote: “Men learn while they teach” (Pardon this gendered quote!) Teachers can nurture their own wellbeing and improve their resilience by using resources found at ReachOut Pro to support young people experiencing mental health difficulties and build young people’s wellbeing and resilience.