In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.
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.
How do students view hard work?
This view of hard work, in my opinion, is completely backwards. Maybe my own attitude comes from growing up on a piece of property that my family turned into a vegetable, herb, and fruit garden. I learned from a very early age that hard work pays off. I was so pleased with myself the first time I grew a head of lettuce. All that hard work of weeding, watering, shoveling, composting, etc. had paid off and now I had my very own head of lettuce! It was almost too much to even think about eating it! But the result taught me not to be afraid of hard work and effort.
Too many students are growing up with the fixed mindset and a fear they’re not smart enough if they have to put effort into their work, rather than seeing effort as part of the process to success. As educators, we need to start supporting students in moving from this fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Strategies for developing a growth mindset in students
Another strategy teachers can use to decrease the fear of hard work and effort is to turn praise from intelligence-based to effort-based. Rather than saying things like “what a great score! You must be so smart!” teachers can praise the effort by saying, “what a great score! You must have worked very hard!”
If more teachers use these as a jumping off point into moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, students can soon learn that hard work, effort, and failure, are all part of the success cycle, and that there’s no need to be afraid!