This week's learning key about confidence highlights the importance of mindset, with an emphasis on hard work. Any student should be commended and respected for their hard work, regardless of their outcome. This enables students to continue working hard and reach new heights, not only in their academic journey but also in their careers and future goals. This sets an example of a growth mindset, where someone believes they can always improve. A growth mindset will also build a foundation of confidence, especially in an academic setting. It is natural for people to be discouraged after receiving a grade that is not ideal for their standards. A fixed mindset will interpret their mark as a result of not being qualified or not good enough to achieve anything better. This would shatter someone's confidence, and it would be difficult to grow and move forward. Someone with a growth mindset would use their unideal outcome as an opportunity to learn and grow, and continue to work hard to achieve something higher.
People with natural ability may be more susceptible to a fixed mindset, as they are able to achieve greater results with relatively lower effort. Once they stumble across something that is more difficult, unable to overcome it right away, they may feel as if they are incapable, and it would be difficult for them to learn from the situation. For example, if a student with natural talent decides to coast through school without putting much effort while still achieving high results, their work ethic hasn't been built, as it hasn't been practised. Then, when that student encounters something more difficult that they are unable to solve right away, they are likely to be heavily discouraged. They may feel as if they are incapable of overcoming the obstacle, as they perceive their ability and intelligence to be fixed. This fixed mindset will also take a toll on their confidence, negatively impacting their performances on future tasks.
Someone who works hard, regardless of their outcome, has built strong work habits with a growth mindset. Using the previous example, a student with a growth mindset will stumble across something challenging and use it as an opportunity to grow as a person. Although their results may not be the greatest, continued hard work and effort should always lead to greater results in the future. Gradual improvements will lead to great differences over time. This growth mindset will take someone further than another person who has always been naturally talented but has not learned to work hard.
In the classroom, it is important to inspire and encourage students to work hard, promoting a growth mindset and building their confidence. Sometimes, grades don't reflect the amount of work a student has put in. I remember moments when I would study hard for a test, preparing until I felt comfortable with the material. Yet, I would receive a very low mark for the amount of effort I put in. This shattered my confidence, and for each assessment afterwards, it felt like I was unprepared no matter how hard I studied. It is important for teachers to support their students and build their confidence to encourage students to work hard, even if they are not able to achieve high results right away. Especially in grade school, building and encouraging a strong work ethic is way more valuable than a single test grade. One of the main priorities a student should make is building strong work habits. When good work ethics is developed, the results will follow. As suggested in this week's learning key presentation, a student should be praised for their hard work, rather than how smart they are. This properly builds a student's confidence and encourages students to continue to work hard, which is much more effective than praising their intelligence.
Courtesy of VincentT@OTU
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