Develop A Growth Mindset: Ugh! Do I Have To??!!

Last week, our diagnostician administered a battery of assessments to quantify data related to a Special Education placement for one of our students. When she presented the results she stated that this student has an IQ of 44 and would be recommending him for an intellectual disability (ID) label. In other words, this student is on the lowest end of the bell curve when it comes to intelligence and will probably receive adaptive services and modified standardized tests. But, what if I told you that was a misconception and that an IQ is not fixed? What if I told you that this child has been a victim of his circumstances, and with the right strategies and interventions, this student would thrive and not have to rely on that label? Would you believe me? Do you think IQ is fixed or fluid?

Dr. Carol Dweck believes that #youcanlearnanything with effort and perseverance. Our society has bred a generation that has grown accustomed to "making the grade" to prove our abilities and the judgement of "smart" or "stupid." Because of this, many people fail to reach their true potential and do not tackle challenges or problem-solve to accomplish cognitive tasks because they feel their abilities are fixed. This is why the Growth Mindset is so important! Fostering effort and progress is essential when considering the future of our society. There are numerous challenges that the world is facing at this very moment: global warming, fossil fuel consumption, alternative energy, pandemics, etc. Developing a Growth Mindset is vital to inventing new, efficient ways to sustain our world. We continue to investigate these dilemmas, but we just have not met the standard...yet.

Oh "yet," such a small word with great power. Put that word on the end of any issue in life, and suddenly, it becomes the epitome of hope. "You cannot climb that mountain...yet." "You are not Olympic material...yet." "You have not conquered cancer...yet." Growth Mindset is essentially a belief that even though you may not currently be able to achieve mastery in an area of life, you have the ability to develop that skill, sharpen it, and make significant progress over time. I know this sounds crazy, but I am an elementary teacher, so I must communicate this message... in song form... with puppets.

Do you have to develop a Growth Mindset? Absolutely! Developing a Growth Mindset will not only help others become productive members of society, but it will help individuals reach the famous top tier of Maslow's hierarchy known as "self-actualization." In fact, he dubbed the Fixed Mindset "aborted self-actualization." If a person purposely engages in cognitive tasks that are below their capabilities, they are robbing themselves of true potential. But how does one go about developing a Growth Mindset? I'm so glad you asked.

The first step is admitting you have a Fixed Mindset. Sound familiar? Don't worry, there aren't 12 steps, only four. According to Scott Jeffery (2016) when you hear your self-sabotaging, Fixed Mindset voice whispering to you, acknowledge it is there. Secondly, when you recognize that voice, remember that you have a choice to make. You can choose to scale up the effort or put up a wall. The next step is to re-frame the Fixed Mindset thought into a statement that encourages persistence and growth. For instance, put the word "yet" at the end of a challenge you are facing. The fourth step is to take action in the right direction. Create a plan to make progress and overcome setbacks with a positive attitude, or as I always tell my students, "Come back again and try it with a happy heart and a smile." Here is a graphic that may serve as guidance in Growth Mindset development. Put it up on a wall and refer to it when challenges arise. Growth or Fixed, which one are you?