At Empowered we believe the purpose of education is to help every student discover their innate abilities, develop those abilities into valued skills, and apply those skills to create value for themselves and others.
A critical piece on the journey of becoming the best you can be for yourself – and others – is a growth mindset.
Often, we fail to see the pluses of not arriving at our perceived goal or, if we do succeed, we focus on the outcome instead of the steps that got us there. That diligence along the way is the growth mindset.
Lindsay Schroeder
But what do we mean by a “growth mindset”? One with a growth mindset embraces challenges, perseveres through obstacles, sees failure as an opportunity for growth, learns from criticism, and is inspired by the success of others. The growth mindset can come to life in our actions and what we say. However, sometimes, what we say doesn’t exemplify the actions of a growth mindset. Often, we fail to see the pluses of not arriving at our perceived goal or, if we do succeed, we focus on the outcome instead of the steps that got us there. That diligence along the way is the growth mindset.
For example, I may tell my son (who is four) “You are so smart, you can count to twenty!” which is innately focusing on the outcome. What I should really be highlighting is his effort and perseverance to learn to count to twenty. He’s doing great with numbers, but I have work to do in developing my growth mindset on what I am praising and why.
It is a journey that I am proud to be on because I am yet to be the best version of myself.
So, what does Empowered’s focus on the growth mindset mean for education? It means we believe in people. That every person is valued and worthy of dignity and respect. We believe each person can grow to develop their talents to overcome both seen and unseen barriers and reach their full potential.
Educators play a critical role in shifting student mindsets. Educators with a growth mindset increasingly believe…
- I can grow – resulting in change-making entrepreneurial behavior.
- My students can grow – taking an individualized approach to education, helping each student discover, develop, and apply their talents.
- Society can grow – rejecting zero-sum thinking and becoming dedicated to a society of mutual benefit.
But do not forget to develop your own growth mindset. It will help you as a person, teacher or – in my example – as a parent.