Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist is the author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. For more than forty years, she has spent researching the kinds of beliefs that bring about success in school, career, and life. Her idea is that mindset can contribute to success or failure.

For example, a person who was made to fix his mind that he has this ability or level of intelligence will only do what is that regarded of him. If he was told he has an average IQ as maybe seen in an IQ test he took, his entire academic life would be average. He will less likely try to develop more of his intellectual capacity or develop traits unexpected of an average learner. He will less likely put effort to persevere and become more. His thinking would be that his efforts will be futile or he will fail or will only look dumb even if he try at all.

That is not the case with a person whose mindset is that his intelligence, talent, and skills can be increased through effort, perseverance, and hard work. He loves to learn and enjoys challenges. He works hard at tasks given him. He looks forward to results and meeting his goals. He becomes successful in the end.

For teachers, teaching mindset to pupils is possible to help them succeed. Growth mindset can be taught and learned, as Dr. Dweck found out. Her studies showed that learners increased their motivation, productivity, and success when they were taught and when they learned proper mindset.

First mindset that you can teach pupils is growth mindset. This means pupils believe that everyday, they have the potential to grow. In body, mind, capabilities, talents, skills, and productivity. Give them example of growing things like plants, animals, and yes, them. These living things grow because they are nourished and taken cared of. It is like nourishing the mind by reading good books and learning in class and eventually, they grow more intelligently in the process.

Once pupils learn growth mindset, they can develop grit. Grit is one characteristic of successful people. It is crucial to accomplishing long-term goals. An aspect of grit is academic perseverance where pupils learn to work hard and smart for long periods of time instead of just when exams come. This is academic tenacity where pupils need to acquire if they are to finish a college course and more higher graduate learning as they wish.

Dr. Dweck’s study showed that about 80% of success can be attributed to mindset. Growth mindset can contribute to success while fixed mindset can be a key to failure. As teachers, teaching pupils not only academic matters but non-cognitive skills and help them set their minds for success can spell a huge difference for their success. Helping them set their minds to what are the best and helping them live a life of growth and becoming positive contributors to the world is a already a teaching success in itself.

References:

Duckworth, Angela, Peterson, Christopher. Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2007. Vol.92. No. 6. 1087-1101.

Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books. 2007.

Dweck, Carol. Self-Theories: The Role of Motivation, Personality and Development. Psychology Press. 2000.

  

By: Jeramie J. Taclan | T-I | Diwa Elementary School