Sunday, October 14, 2012

Do You Have a Growth Mindset or a Fixed Mindset?


As part of our foundational work this school year, we are working on a school culture that promotes a growth mindset.  In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point.  This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. 




Carol Dweck, one of the world's leading researchers in the field of motivation, published a book called Mindset (2006) (http://mindsetonline.com/).


Many of the teachers at Cove have read this book, but the entire staff has read professional articles around this concept, and we have on-going discussions pertaining to student achievement through the use of a growth mindset. As parents and part of our Cove School Team, I encourage you to do your own research around Dweck's work.  As a mother myself, I am working hard to incorporate the language of a growth mindset with my own children. It is has been an eye-opening experience!

This is a great chart to easily understand the concept behind Deck's research and compare and contrast a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset.


As the principal of Cove School, with the great fortune of having passionate and dedicated teachers, I am confident that we will have a year in which we make great gains in student achievement!  : ) 


No comments:

Post a Comment