The idea of a growth mindset can often end up being one where your previous biases and ideals in learning must be unlearned for you to acquire this mindset.
Let's start with the idea of a fixed mindset. As we learned in class, thinking our potential is set in stone inhibits our ability to learn and grow massively. With a fixed mindset, people are reliant on their natural talent and intelligence. This could get them far, but only far enough. In the face of challenges that attempt to stretch the zone of proximal development, they're more easily ready to give up.
As a child all the way until my undergraduate years, I personally experienced being stuck in a fixed mindset for a long time without even realizing it. In grade 4, I was placed into the "gifted program", which extended all the way into grade 11. Aside from just being labeled as "gifted", my family and my teachers would often label me as "naturally intelligent" and I'd be told that academics came to me without effort. This set high expectations into my head and caused me to cruise through elementary and high school in this "safe zone". I was doing well in my academics but was very risk-averse; I did not want to run the risk of looking incapable. This extends to subjects that I knew I wouldn't be good at or even picking up new hobbies. At the time, I felt secure with this feeling though because I still got the praise I was seeking out. Eventually, in my undergraduate degree when I was faced with areas where I needed to put more effort, I gave up a lot more easily, felt minimal motivation and hit a state of burnout frequently. I didn't even want to put myself out there in terms of extracurriculars as I viewed them as "uncomfortable" to my identity. It was clear I was stuck in a fixed mindset. To put it bluntly, when this feeling settled in, it sucked.
An idea from an article by Carol Dweck and David Yeager really stuck out to me. They talk about the ability of wanting to prove feels so much different compared to the ability of wanting to improve (Dweck & Yeager, 2019). When you are trying to prove that you are capable and adequate, your self-concept feels established and fixed. When you have a strong sense of wanting to improve, this is now a trait that is dynamic and a trait can be built upon (Dweck & Yeager, 2019).
Fixed mindsets can really stick with an individual and leave them in a state of learned helplessness, both in and out of school. However, it's not impossible to change it into a growth mindset, even into the later years of life. Some of my most key transformative moments of developing a growth mindset sparked from, believe it or not, video games. During my undergraduate in what I considered a drought of passion for myself, one thing I started taking up was competing in tournaments for the game, Super Smash Bros Ultimate. I always considered myself pretty good at the game, but during my time at the tournaments, I found myself losing to the same person every single time I ran into him. It was frustrating, but because of my passion for the game, my mind never seemed to block off the idea of potentially winning. I would go home and note what I was doing well, review the mistakes I made, gather ideas and new perspectives from my friends after showing them my games; the idea of feeling shame for losing was not something I worried about. Slowly, I felt myself improving, and more importantly, learning. This eventually got me to the point where I was able to win over an opponent that I had never been able to beat before.
It seems like a silly example at first, but this idea of learning from my mistakes and receiving the correct feedback continued to stick with me for the years to come. Surely if I apply myself the same way to things that I would like to try, I can experience that same learning curve. I gradually explored more hobbies in the years following, like running and bouldering for example. Undoubtedly, they were humbling experiences at first, but I kept going back to them. I looked at what I was doing well and asked around for what I could improve upon, finally relying on a sense of community rather than just my own pride and judgment. The magic of acquiring a growth mindset is that it starts permeating throughout various aspects of learning; it is the beginning to becoming a lifelong learner. I hope as a teacher, I will be able to explore students' interests, provide insightful feedback and offer guidance that can plant that seed of a growth mindset.
The following is the reference I refer to in part of my response:
Dweck, C.S., Yeager, D.S. (May 2019). Mindsets: A view from two eras. Perspect Psychol Sci. 14(3): 481-496. doi: 10.1177/1745691618804166.
By: LavinS@OTU
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