Developing my first growth mindset plan a few months ago was one of my favorite assignments. It came so timely as I was then beginning to teach a group of kindergarten students with a very diverse background. Some had prior school experience who were already familiar with the routines, so they were demonstrating the confidence to meet expectations. But the majority of my class came with little to none experience. They were my quiet passive learners. Lacking the confidence and the prerequisite skills to work independently, they were intimidated to try challenging tasks, afraid to make mistakes. Ironically, at that time, I resumed graduate school. Being new to the ADL program, I also considered myself as one passive learner. There was a part of me that was not willing to go outside of my comfort, my insecurity was overwhelming that unconsciously I was setting limitations to my growth. This poignant but real mentality is what hinders personal and even professional growth. Then came my understanding of developing a growth mindset. As Dr. Carol Dweck coined this now popular approach, a person with a growth mindset believes that they can develop their intelligence. It follows that intelligence is the result of hard work and study, not that you were born with it. Additionally, a person with a growth mindset has the ability to learn difficult and challenging material by believing that they can.  This is how I am now modeling the powerful mantra of the three-letter word, “yet.” Believing in myself and having the faith that I can do it with perseverance and patience. The gift of time is what makes us realize that hope overflows. As long as we have time, everything is possible and that’s the magic with not knowing it “yet.” In our class, we never ran out of affirmations. We remind each other of our unique talents, and I see how my students have learned to be encouraging to one another.

 

I still continue to process and develop my growth mindset, it pays that I am always surrounded by a bunch of fun-loving, free-spirited 5-year-old who constantly reminds me to add some laughter to the monotony of life. But as their teacher and life coach at the same time, I value the opportunity that I can model and influence them to uplift their self-esteem, build their character with positivity, and accept defeat and failures as part of the process.

 

As some research implies, having a growth mindset alone is not enough to sustain optimism and make a significant impact on a learner’s development. I am quite impartial with this. I still believe that having a growth mindset coupled with some other behavioral modifications and adjustments in your learning environment can have a more significant impact on an individual’s growth.

 

My intention is to be my student’s beloved teacher, but I also want to be their friend and confidant. I need them to trust me that I will support them towards their path to academic excellence, but also be their life coach in becoming independent, resilient, and strong-willed individuals. If there’s one important factor that has made a difference in my students developing a growth mindset, it is creating a significant learning environment where everyone feels valued and supported regardless of their skill level. When a student already has the confidence to take on challenges, he can further succeed if he is in an environment where learning is thriving individually and as a class.  As the teacher, I create that atmosphere. I have learned to let go of some of the authority and allow my students to experience COVA (Choice, Ownership, Voice through Authentic Learning). At present, student progress is consistent, the determination and optimism are evident, and we have not lost the most important element of it all, to make learning fun. That I believe is the perfect recipe to sustain and attain the real essence of making the growth mindset a lifestyle and not just a fleeting fad. A mindset should not solely rely on one’s personal belief of his skills, nor depend on other people boosting his morale, rather it is always having that work in progress mentality. You may have failed, succeeded, failed again, redeemed yourself, but the cycle of learning through the ups and downs defines you as a learner.

 

Kindergarten students can be very competitive. They embrace the challenge and typically it’s always about winning. But with our growth mindset plan, scores or grades matter but we focus more on the process of what it takes to learn something new or acquire another skill. The grit, the rigor, and the growth mindset are present, but what counts really is the experience. Even the most basic, simple task requires the grit and rigor to get the work done. But it’s not always about just putting the grit and rigor, it’s building the learner’s character to have the love for learning. His dedication will manifest in his efforts, even without the accolades, his self-fulfillment will suffice. The same way that having a growth mindset promotes honesty, that when it becomes so tempting to cheat, the students will remain accountable for their own learning and success. A well-rounded learner accepts feedback and advice graciously. In our class, every student is always eager to have that one-on-one time with me when we get to look back on our highs and lows and look forward to more milestones.  

 

Being in this program has reignited the passionate learner in me. I keep learning new ways to reinvent myself not as a teacher anymore but this time as a facilitator and coach. My innovation plan is already in its initial stages of pilot implementation. I am getting more and more excited to see how it can impact our learners on a bigger scale. This course has further equipped me with the most important element of developing a growth mindset, creating a significant learning environment (CSLE). As I revisited my learning philosophy, I got to reconstruct my beliefs and principles as a learner and a teacher. This will influence how I will fully integrate this innovation to the traditional classroom. Blended learning entails shifting our mindsets from the conventional one to a more flexible student-centered approach. Learning about the two backward design process approaches of Fink (3 Column Table) and McTighe and Wiggins (UbD) paved the way for me to look more into the details of how I can work on aligning student outcomes to the learning activities to assessment. As I continue to promote this innovation plan, I am learning so much in the process. This is me cultivating that growth mindset. I may not know everything now, but I am here taking the challenge to pursue the passion I have because when I started this plan, I committed myself to make it happen.

 

References:

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Harapnuik, D. (2021, February 24). Aligning outcomes, activities, and assessments. [Video]. YouTube.                                        https://youtu.be/YsmbuD00Vfg

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Fink, L. (2003) A self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning.retrieved November 26, 2021.

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Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. John Wiley      & Sons.Thomas, D. [TEDx Talks]. (2012, September 12). A new culture of learning, Douglas Thomas at TEDxUFM [Video file].      Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM80GXlyX0U&feature=youtu.be

 

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change.              Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.

 

Wiggins, Grant & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA :Association for Supervision and Curriculum          Development.