Embracing the Power of Growth Mindset

Feb 17, 2025

The Power of Yet

Introduction

  • Discusses the concept of "not yet" as a grading system used in a Chicago high school.
  • Emphasizes learning as a continuous process on a learning curve.
  • "Not yet" provides a future path and a growth mindset.

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

  • Growth Mindset
    • Recognizes that abilities can grow through hard work.
    • Encourages a positive response to challenges.
    • Promotes resilience and learning from errors.
  • Fixed Mindset
    • Views intelligence as static.
    • Fails to cope with challenges positively.
    • Leads to avoidance of difficulty and unethical behavior like cheating.

Studies and Brain Activity

  • Research Findings
    • Growth mindset brains are active when encountering errors, showing learning processes.
    • Fixed mindset brains show little activity in similar situations.

Education and Parenting

  • Questions how children are being raised: for immediate success or future growth?
  • Critiques emphasis on grades and test scores.
  • Raises concern about young workers' dependence on rewards.

Strategies to Foster Growth Mindset

  1. Praise Wisely
    • Praise effort, strategies, focus, perseverance.
    • Avoid praising innate talent to prevent vulnerability.
  2. Educational Tools
    • Collaboration with University of Washington on "Brain Points", a game rewarding learning processes.
    • Emphasizes effort, strategy, and progress.
  3. Mindset Change
    • Teaching students about brain plasticity and learning.
    • Proven to increase student grades and resilience.

Examples of Success

  • Harlem Kindergarten
    • Teacher raised class performance significantly despite initial struggles.
  • South Bronx 4th Grade Class
    • Achieved top state math test scores.
  • Native American Reservation
    • Transformed school performance through a growth mindset approach.

Equality and Growth Mindset

  • Growth mindset environments can improve equality in education.
  • Shows that chronic poor performance can be changed.

Personal Impact

  • Testimony of a 13-year-old boy applying growth mindset principles improved his academics and relationships.

Conclusion

  • Advocates for environments that promote growth mindset.
  • Encourages the view of basic human abilities as growable, making it a basic human right for environments to support growth.