Praise & ??s for a Growth Mindset
So now that you know a little bit more about Growth Mindset, or at least what it is, you might be wondering to yourself, "How do I help develop a growth mindset in students?"
Instead of praising a student for receiving an A, or saying "You're so smart," some might say praise them for their effort. Well Carol Dweck says that is one of the ways parents and teachers misuse growth mindset research. Carol says it's not just about effort, or trying harder, it's about the use of strategies, and new tools. So, as a teacher, it's about changing your practices, and changing your feedback. Your feedback and instructional practices need to match.
So what is a classroom teacher to do? Carol Dweck suggests these phrases to praise a child's process and strategies to US News:
For some more key tips and questions to ask students, please read below.
Instead of praising a student for receiving an A, or saying "You're so smart," some might say praise them for their effort. Well Carol Dweck says that is one of the ways parents and teachers misuse growth mindset research. Carol says it's not just about effort, or trying harder, it's about the use of strategies, and new tools. So, as a teacher, it's about changing your practices, and changing your feedback. Your feedback and instructional practices need to match.
So what is a classroom teacher to do? Carol Dweck suggests these phrases to praise a child's process and strategies to US News:
- Wow, you really practiced that, and look how you improved.
- See, you studied more and your grade on this test is higher.
- You tried different strategies and you figured out how to solve the problem.
- You stuck to this and now you really understand it.
For some more key tips and questions to ask students, please read below.