One quote that stood out to me in this chapter is about the "low-effort syndrome". It describes how students put in little effort to "assert their independence from adults, but it is also a way that students with the fixed mindset protect themselves". The author says that the protection part is to keep others from judging them. I also think that it protects them from themselves. By putting in little effort, later on they are able to blame their failure on their lack of trying/caring rather than it having to do with how "smart" they are, keeping their own views on their intelligence intact. In their point of view, actually trying would create a direct link between the outcome of that attempt and their intelligence.
Even in Kindergarten, I see this frequently. Many students would rather not even try than to even risk the chance of failing. It takes an active awareness and effort on the part of teachers to create an atmosphere where trying is rewarded (rather than just focusing on being correct).
A few quotes that stood out to me include:
ReplyDelete"In the fixed mindset, imperfections are shameful." After reading this quote, I feel like our society in general has a fixed mindset. For example, if girls are not a certain size they are put down for that. It is unfortunate, and again I am wondering how we change the mindset?
"What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn, if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions of learning." I feel like this is the first time that "if" was put into the picture. Really it is not that every person can learn because one must have "the appropriate prior and current conditions of learning".
Each chapter keeps stating that those with growth mindset have better grades than those with a fixed mindset. I would like to know how they determined or measured this?
On page 62, there was an example of a girl/woman who received results from an exam that she had taken after learning growth mindset strategies. Within the letter she states, "I expected to scrape by." Isn't that comment a fixed mindset comment? Do they believe she has a growth mindset because she did well on the exam, or is the mindset based on her actions/comments?
This chapter makes me think about what is happening in our district right now - Expeditionary Learning and the "learning walks". Teachers are terrified about what is going to be seen in their classroom when "they walk through". The evaluation process has everyone on edge to begin with and now we have this initiative. Teaching is ever changing and we as educators should always be learning (my opinion). If we are hungry for knowledge we will easily pass that on to our students. They will develop a thirst for learning. Too often teachers are overheard by their students talking about the student's ability, or lack thereof, to learn, read, write, do basic math facts, etc. On page 58, it states, "In school my main goal is to do things as easily as possible so I don't have to work very hard." This does not speak to just students in school, but teachers, administrators and staff members. Education is a difficult profession; learning is a difficult task. Growth mindset to me simply means having an open mind while trying to work through a change. When did failure mean wrong??
ReplyDeleteSo true, I see it in my 5th graders and my own daughter all of the time. I have been working on changing their mindsets by using examples of all the famous people who overcame their "failures" to become who they are or were. It helps if they realize that some of their heroes like Michael Jordan failed by getting cut from his Varsity team.
ReplyDeleteThe “low-effort syndrome” is something that also struck me when reading this chapter. I see students coming into first grade with the fixed mindset that they are smart and they must always demonstrate this quality to the world. Many of these children feel the pressure to always present this way and it can sabotage their success as they become less willing to attempt challenging tasks. Parents and educators must make sure to not define children by individual events (tests and report cards), but by their overall progress throughout long periods of time. Students see a society of instant results and judgments, which causes them to see short term success or struggle as something that defines them. This makes it difficult for them to have the confidence to take academic risks and work through things that are difficult. Growth mindset is something that is fostered by the environment that is established by those around us. The expectations of those in power, such as parents or evaluators, does determine a person’s willingness to try new things and accept the challenges that they are presented. As an educator and a parent, I need to establish a culture where children know that failure or struggle is an opportunity to grow. No one likes to struggle but they can frame the struggle as something positive by having a growth mindset.
ReplyDeleteI find the "low-effort syndrome" to be something that is a consistent problem we face as educators. In essence, our most successful learners, those with a growth mindset, experience "failure" at a much higher rate than their peers with fixed mindsets. I have, already, seen a few students who were enthusiastic about various classes come to me and say they were giving up because they didn't receive the score they wanted on one or two assignments. It is situations like this that have caused me to take a mastery approach to writing, and almost any other work in my classroom, when possible. By allowing students to retake things as long as they are willing to put in the effort I hope to encourage them to regard assignments as learning opportunities rather than tasks with a grade attached to them. So many of our students are so grade-focused that they forget about the importance of actual learning. It is a shame that so many of our students are afraid to push themselves for fear of not getting that 100%. The grade is often the only thing that matters to them, and as a result they play it safe.
ReplyDeleteLow-effort syndrome can definitely be something that is stemming from a fixed mindset - but watching families out in public....I wonder if it something that parents and society are teaching the children. Just observe you and your family....families out and about in public spaces...how much independence are we giving children to do and try things on their own? How much support and encouragement are we giving to children to do and try things on their own? Or are we pushing our own fears onto them and not allowing them to fully spread their wings? I think about my own circumstance with my husband and myself. He panics and picks her up and babies her when she falls. I let her get up, come to me and ask her if she is okay - check her over and let her go on her way. He wants to give her all the answers, I want her to figure them out.... Google gives us all the answers right away.... we don't have to work for anymore...mom and dad give us what ever we want.... do the kids have to do chores and work for anything like they used???
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