What is growth mind-set?
A growth mind-set is an idea that your skills and achievements can get better with determination, effort, and learning. The quality of an education system is determined by the quality of its teachers and the quality of teachers is dependent on their mind-set.Â
Teachers with a growth mind-set have accountability for enhancing their methods. They view failures and criticism as chances to improve themselves. They actively look for new challenges and education possibilities. They have high hopes and expectations for their learners.
On the other hand, teachers with fixed mind-sets believe that talent and intelligence are constants. They avoid problems to minimise risk, ignore the advice of others, and feel disturbed by other people’s achievements. Let’s see the difference between a growth mind-set and a fixed mind-set.
Growth Mind-set Vs. Fixed Mind-set
| Growth mind-set | Fixed mind-set |
| Like taking on difficult work | Avoid difficulties |
| Believes that mastery comes through persistent effort | Believes effort is only for people who are bad at something |
| Gaining knowledge through failure and mistakes | Declare themselves failures |
| Believes in the capacity of the brain to change and learn | Believes that skill and intelligence are fixed |
| Teaches others so they might learn more | Does not frequently exchange knowledge |
| Accepts criticism well and improves from it | Accepts criticism from others as personally |
| Process-oriented | Overly concerned with the result |
| Motivated by other people’s achievements. | Feel threatened by others’ achievement |
Source: Link
Why do teachers need to have a growth mind-set?
Teaching is a challenging profession, and it becomes harder every year as numerous curriculums come and go, a new technology that must be learned and applied in the classroom, more interesting lesson resources, and an understanding of how students learn, in addition to addressing their social and emotional needs.
These challenges and many more can make a teacher demotivated, frustrated, or depressed. That’s where a growth mindset comes in.
When teachers have a growth mindset, they’re more likely to be open to learning new things and trying new approaches. And this helps them become better teachers and help their students achieve more.
Also Read: 7 benefits of parents’ engagement for affordable private schools
Tips to develop a growth mindset
1. Consider obstacles as opportunities:
Teaching is a wonderful profession. It does have several challenges though. Teachers’ mindsets will improve if they adopt a new perspective on challenges and perceive them as opportunities. It all depends on how they view things in life.
2. Review development:
For many teachers, reflecting spontaneously comes naturally. It’s a daily activity that teachers should engage in to advance their profession.
They should start considering their personal development during their daily teachings. If necessary, they can make the necessary corrections, after which they can strengthen the constructive adjustments.
3. Learn from previous teachers’ mistakes:
This will end a lot of pain if the teacher is willing to learn from others. They don’t always like to show their vulnerability or even seek assistance. They’ll be more productive and less likely to make the same mistakes as others, though, if they frequently interact with others and accept advice.
4. Try new things and innovate:
Since there is no ideal technique for learning, teachers should try new things and be creative to deliver engaging real-world lessons. Technology isn’t the only aspect of innovation. The possibilities are unlimited.
It might be about the procedures and methods used in a classroom, fresh student project suggestions, new teaching techniques, or interdisciplinary collaboration. It’s simple to fall back on what is comfortable, but that may not be what is most effective for the specific students in front of teachers or today’s current students.
5. Evaluate and reflect:
Teachers must routinely take the time to assess their performance and consider how they may grow and get better. Since the school year is so busy, it might be difficult to prioritise self-reflection. To establish a dependable and significant routine, one way is to incorporate reflection exercises into professional development or teacher meetings.
Conclusion:
It’s no secret that a growth mindset can reap benefits for anyone, but especially for teachers. When teachers can see the benefits of a growth mindset in their own lives and the lives of their students, they can work harder and achieve more.
Here are a few more ways that can help teachers develop a growth mindset and amplify their work:
- Help them understand the definition of a growth mindset and what it means for them and their students
- Encourage them to new challenges and push themselves to learn new things
- Connect them with other educators who have a growth mindset and can offer support
- Show them how to praise effort rather than intelligence or talent, which can help students develop a growth mindset
Social