Growing Together

It's happening.  It's time to wave good-bye to my maternity leave and say hello to a new year.  Over the past 12 months I have had time to filter out my goals and expectations, learn more about the topics that interest me, have wonderful discussions with my teacher-husband, and read!  One of the books that I have been able to read over the course of my maternity leave is called "The Growth Mindset Coach".

There isn't a teacher who I have spoken to who doesn't share my desire to find a way to reach students.  We want them to succeed, to reach their highest potential and feel good about themselves.  One of the hardest things for ANYONE to do (teacher or student) is move beyond those things that make us comfortable and try something new.  Why is that?  Simply put, it comes down to a fear of failure.  

There are some areas in life where I am extremely motivated to try new things.  I think immediately of food.  I LOVE trying new food-things!  I find it completely satisfying to learn about cultures through food!  Hit or miss, I'm always happy that I gave something new a try (except that time I tried durian in university).  My mom, on the other hand, is comfortably situated on the other end of the trying-new-food-fence.  Take her to any restaurant in the world for lunch and she will ask for a Denver sandwich and the soup of the day.  She would happily say that she doesn't want to ruin the experience of the atmosphere by trying something different and potentially hating it.  These are two wonderful examples of two types of mindsets: a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.

A fixed mindset is "The belief that we're born with a fixed amount of intelligence and ability.  People operating in the fixed mindset are prone to avoiding challenges and failures, thereby robbing themselves of a life rich in experience and learning." Brock, A and Hundley, H (2016) The Growth Mindset Coach. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.

A growth mindset is "The belief that with practice, perseverance, and effort, people have limitless potential to learn and grow.  People operating in the growth mindset tackle challenges with aplomb, unconcerned with making mistakes or being embarrassed, focusing instead on the process of growth." Brock and Hundley, (2016). 

I've had many experiences with students where they exhibit a growth mindset, and equally as many where I've seen very clearly a fixed mindset.  Until I read this book, I simply referred to my students actions as "trying".  To me, students were either excited or timid to "try" and, depending on the situation, subject or group of students, their desire to "try" was very different.  After reading this book, it became very clear to me that what I was observing went beyond behaviors or what I thought were observations in terms of "effort".  In fact, I was observing their mindset in regard to the circumstances the students were in.  

One of my goals, every year, every day, is to try and find ways to encourage students to "try", but now I have shifted my focus and my goal is now to help students develop a growth mindset.  The "Growth Mindset Coach" is the book I have been looking for.  Inside are month-by-month guides for promoting a classroom environment that supports a growth mindset, lesson ideas, activities and more.  Chalk full of research and resources, the book also functions as a workbook for teachers and encourages educators to look at our own growth and fixed mindsets.  

If you've found yourself in the same boat that I was in-trying desperately to figure out how to help students build confidence and not worry about failure while finding value in the process of learning-then this book might be a great place to start.  If you decide to read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts and learn how you are promoting a growth mindset in your classroom.

(Oh!  It's good to be back!)

It's Only September...

The month is almost up and the honeymoon is definitely over. Our students' true colours are shining through, and ours are too. And an all-too-familiar feeling is starting to settle into the pits of educator stomachs. If left unchecked, this feeling can cause some serious problems. This feeling's name...is panic. Well, it's actually that nagging feeling you get before panic. Pre-panic.

 

You might be thinking the following:

"Where are all those papers with that important information I need that I got with all those other papers at the beginning of the year?"

"We still haven't mastered the routines in our classroom!" 

"I have assessments that have to be finished in 1/2/3 weeks!"

"The other class is so much farther ahead than I am!"  

"I should really be organizing that."

"Are my pants seriously on backwards right now...?"

Well that last one might be a bit far-fetched, but you get the idea. 

When I touch base with other teachers, one of their (and mine) concerns is how long it seems to take for students to follow classroom procedures. It's difficult to ignore because we need those procedures in place to help us as we teach for the rest of the year. It's so easy to become frustrated, especially when you think you sound like a broken record and, saying the same thing over and over and over and over and over....

Here's what I try to ask and remind myself of when I'm starting to feel overwhelmed in September:

1.  They're kids. All of them. From 5 to 18.  And they just came back from a two month vacation, and if I'm tired, they probably are too. 

2.  Am I just expecting too much?  There's a lot for students to adjust to this time of year. It's important for me to remind myself that I'm not the only one with a full plate. 

4. Did I explain procedures well, or did I assume they're mind readers?   Sometimes, I think they're mind readers. But they aren't. Two words. Exlpicit. Teaching.

5. Get a grip. It's only September. 

And really, that's what it comes down to for me. I can be really hard on myself because the pieces of the puzzle have not all perfectly fallen into place.  But that's not fair to me or my students. I am trying to be consistent, fair, kind, and patient because it will all work out in the end. And after all, it's only September.