When I think about the students in my classroom, I see such
a wide range of maturity, ability, and attitude, etc. And yet, they are all
expected to master the same set of standards in five separate areas of
instruction. This leaves me with a group of students who are satisfied because
they have achieved mastery, a group of students who are discouraged because they
have fallen short, and a group of students who have simply learned not to care
at all.
Dwek argues that we should be teaching kids to develop a
growth mindset. We need to teach our students that their intelligence can be
developed. When they face challenges in school, they need to develop the
confidence that each challenge they encounter is growing their brain. They need to push
through the challenge. Unfortunately, I see so many of my students turn away
when they encounter challenges in class. As I mentioned before, I have some
students who become discouraged, and some students who don’t see any worth in
putting forth effort. It breaks my heart to see so many students who have gone
through five years of school believing that they aren’t capable of success. It’s
hard to change that way of thinking.
I like the idea of praising the process. It is important for
students to realize that their effort, perseverance, and use of a variety of
strategies will get them where they want to be. Dwek described a game that she
co-created that was designed to praise the process. I found one of the games on
the BrainPop website and played it for a few minutes to experience what she was
describing. I found it interesting that I did not always get points for solving
the problem correctly. Instead, the game told me that my brain needed more of a
challenge, so it immediately moved me to more challenging levels. I would like
to see one my students interact with this game. I wonder if providing rewards
and encouragement during challenges will encourage my students to keep trying
when they want to give up. Perhaps it is a strategy that I should use every day
in the classroom.
Hi Brittany,
ReplyDeleteYou described your classroom at the beginning of your post being made of many students who are intrinsically motivated and who have developed a strong sense of efficacy and also many who struggle to engage in academic work when it requires risk. I know there are many variables that we must consider when discussing student motivation and I do not want to blame students for this because I've found deficit based thinking to be counter productive to growth and motivation. Like you Dweck's theory of growth mindset and specifically her suggestion of praising process and effort rather than talent or ability to be intriguing.
You shared how you found a brain pop website that praised effort and continually provided the user with a harder challenge...I'd like for us to continue to look for tools that can help us promote the value of the learning process.
Sincerely,
Dawn