I have just finished reading Mindset by Carol Dweck. The book focuses on the fixed and growth mindsets and how each type of mindset means different reactions to different situations. A fixed mindset person would make excuses for their failings where as a growth mindset person will see each failing as a chance to learn and improve. Some of the examples used were John McEnroe who had a fixed mindset,hence his behaviour on court, and Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the best basketball player ever, who has a growth mindset.

I found myself to have a fixed mindset in certain situations and a growth mindset in others. Over the next few weeks and months. I am going to try and look at each situation, criticism or failing as a chance to grow and develop myself as a learner and person.

This will be difficult as criticism or failing can sometimes be seen as personal or seen as an attack on your abilities.

I plan to introduce a more growth mindset approach into my classroom by modelling a growth mindset approach to problems and difficulties that may arise and also by the feedback I provide. To promote a growth mindset, it is crucial that you feedback honestly to students, so that they can be coached into realising how they can improve. A growth mindset can also be promoted through praise. Instead of praising a students ability “well done you finished that quickly you must be smart” which promotes the thought process ‘if I cant do it quickly then I’m dumb’, the alternative is to praise the effort and process leading to the outcome, “that’s really good, you must have worked hard”, this allows the thought process to relate working hard with good work.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book as it made me think about my own mindset and challenged me to change myself and my teaching practice. I would recommend the book to anyone who loves to learn.

Joe McNee