By Ms. Sara Berlin, Cherry Lane Social Worker
What is a growth mindset? This week PreK-2nd grade students learned what it means to have a growth mindset and applied it to trying new things. They started off the lesson by watching a short clip about a character named Mojo. Mojo, a friendly monster, really liked going to school and especially loved math. One day, math started to get really challenging and a thought popped into Mojo’s head – “I am stupid,” “I am giving up.” As the story continues, all of Mojo’s friends help him adopt a “growth mindset” and help him realize that he should never give up and to keep trying, even when something is challenging. The students ended off the lesson by pledging to grow their brains using a growth mindset.
Why is having a growth mindset so important? When people learn they have the power to grow their brain and develop their intelligence, they are motivated to try harder, persist when challenged, and embrace opportunities to learn. These actions lead to higher achievement.
How can I begin to promote the development of a growth mindset at home? The power of the word Yet tells our children that they are not simply good or bad at things. Learning something new takes time and if they do not know how to do something or understand something at first, that is not the end of the story. They just do not know how to do it or understand it Yet!