how to empower our kids with habits of mind
part 1 in a 4-part series about growth mindset and how it can lead to sustainability of success
As a parent of three children, I always welcome new strategies and advice. So, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share the amazing growth one of my daughters had the year she returned to a physical classroom. After being virtual for a year and half, we all worried about the transition back to school. We knew the possibility loomed that our children could struggle academically, emotionally, and socially.
Early on in the school year, my daughter surprised me. After she struggled on a particular project, my daughter told me her teacher said: “It’s ok. You’re not there, YET!” I noticed she started to use this phrase in various ways for months, especially with math. It showed me she really believed it. I watched her confidence level, her mental health, and most importantly, her self awareness grow exponentially that year. She believed that she was in control of her success if she put in the effort, while also learning that it would take time. I was baffled and impressed by her positive attitude with struggling. The teacher who taught her the “power of yet” was not only teaching his students 5th grade curriculum, but he was arming them with a lifelong skill, he was teaching them to have a Growth Mindset.
What is Growth Mindset?
Here’s an excerpt from Psychology Today
A growth mindset, as conceived by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck and colleagues, is the belief that a person’s capacities and talents can be improved over time.
I personally like this definition from What is Growth Mindset – Meaning, Examples & Definition of Growth Mindset – Harappa Education:
The definition of growth mindset is much simpler than it sounds. In a nutshell, it is the belief that skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence. People with a growth mindset embrace challenges, stay resilient in the face of difficulties, learn from constructive criticism and seek out inspiration in others’ success.
Mr. Miguel Lopez (M.A. Education, Ed. D) teaches in such an impactful way, that his students learn, reflect, adapt, and grow and eventually develop a Growth Mindset. He teaches his students proper study habits and helps them identify their best study strategies. He also incorporates a social/emotional component, so when a student is struggling, they can identify a strategy to get through it. This is a strategy that we as adults can use as well. It is highly effective, and it has made him a favorite teacher, not only in 5th grade, but beyond the 5th grade classroom as he was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2021-2022.
Mr. Lopez says that it is hard as an educator to let Growth Mindset take precedence over content, but he thinks educators should reconsider that perspective. He has had great success with the way he interweaves Growth Mindset into his curriculum. He uses a system from The Mojo Show, a five-episode series created by ClassDojo and Stanford’s PERTS Research Center. He then enhances this curriculum with other tools, such as testing strategies, studying strategies, and something as simple as a progress sheet. Each of which we will introduce in this four-part series.
Not only is Mr. Lopez empowering his students by developing their own Habits of Mind, but he also wholeheartedly wants each and every one of his students to be successful and gives them the tools to do just that in the classroom and beyond. He says once kids develop those habits of mind and that growth mindset, their potential for a sustainability of success is long term. According to Mr. Lopez, Habits of Mind are dispositions and growth mindset that individuals utilize to tackle through challenging obstacles.
My daughter continues to develop her own Habits of Mind with her own thoughtful action. She still applies these strategies in middle school, because in her words, “It gives me a renewed sense of perseverance,” and she remembers Mr. Lopez’s advice. When she gets frustrated for example, she remembers how to get out of that frame of mind. She refers back to the dip, which is when you’re struggling, and how to take tiny steps to achieve a goal and get out of the dip. She tells herself, “There’s always room to grow and nothing is ever final.” According to Mr. Lopez, having this mindset is a lifelong process. It sets a student up to be persistent.
Enrichment Beat would like to introduce you to the first video in this series “Your Brain is Like a Muscle” and we encourage all parents to watch with their children. Stay tuned for part 2 in this series as we delve deeper with Mr. Lopez.
From ClassDojo website: ClassDojo and Stanford’s PERTS Research Center teamed up to create the first season of The Mojo Show. The five-episode video series (along with a few incredible activities) highlight the power of having a growth mindset, and how any student can learn this skill!
*Miguel Lopez is a 5th Grade Teacher. He has his Master of Arts in Teaching and Doctor of Education (Ed. D).
