As we learn, play, and interact with one another this year, we are building critical skills for a lifetime of curiosity and growth. Students will learn to think about themselves and the world in new and important ways that have grown out of the incredible work of Carol Dweck.
Carol Dweck is a researcher, currently at Stanford University, who has pioneered a great deal of work around the idea of growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that we can learn anything with support, hard work, and thoughtful, strategic instruction. Children with a growth mindset outperform children who do not think of themselves and their learning in this way.
The way I support this work in our classroom is by intentionally teaching ways of thinking about ourselves and our ways of learning. This year, I will be teaching your children the concepts of:
• Optimisim: The belief that no matter the obstacle, we have the power and possibility to overcome it.
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks and frustrations and learn from when they happen.
• Persistence: The habit of trying something more than once, or sticking with something through the hard parts.
• Flexibility: The knowledge that there are multiple ways to solve any problem, and the skills to strategically solve it.
• Empathy: The ability to understand feelings and other people’s points of view. A fundamental aspect of a healthy child and a healthy community.
As we learn more about these big ideas, we will think about ways to use self-talk, self stories, goal setting, and reflection to reinforce and support these positive habits of mind. Stay tuned for that work as it unfolds.
As in all things, you are a very important part of this work, and I invite you on this journey with us! Here are some ways you can support and connect with your child over these big ideas:
• Share your own stories. Talk about your child about times you showed empathy or were flexible.
• Listen in on your own self-talk and refine it. Be mindful of saying things like “I cant!” Instead, try saying, “This feels hard, but I am going to take a break and try it a different way and see if that helps!”
• Read with your child. Talk about the ways characters are acting with regard to these habits of mind.
• Read more about this! Feel free to ask me to borrow Carol Dweck’s book, or check out one of the articles below:
“How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The Inverse Power of Praise.”
“Carol Dweck Revisits the Growth Mindset.”
“Researchers Studied Kindergarteners’ Behavior and Followed Up 19 Years Later. Here Are Their Findings.”
I look forward to talking with you more as the year unfolds! Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, or concerns.