Whether a student or teacher of Empowered, employing growth mindset is the key to opening new doors of opportunity and growth. Empowered leader Ken Chadwick not only inspired his students, but he also challenged himself to new opportunities as well.
Empowered’s “Principles + Markets = Mindset” (PMM) instructional strategy empowers students with a decision-making framework and real-world skills needed to create a win for themselves and others.
It does the same for our educators. Educators like our own Ken Chadwick who worked in the business world for 30 years before classroom teaching the last 9 years of his anticipated career. During his time teaching in Missouri and engaging his students with Empowered tools, Ken saw the power of having a growth mindset not only for his students, but for himself as well.
“Keep improving on what you’ve done so far. Talk about past experiences in your life and student successes as an example of what is possible for your current students.”
Ken Chadwick, Educator Support Specialist, Empowered
After facilitating numerous Empowered workshops and summits, Ken took another leap and transformed from a classroom teacher to the next and unanticipated phase of his career as a staff member and leader at Empowered.
He now works with fellow educators from his home in Colorado, assisting them in starting or rekindling a love of students and learning using the powerful resources available through Empowered.
For the seasoned educators already using the tools, Ken has advice on how the growth mindset can be used for current students. Ken suggests to “Keep improving on what you’ve done so far. Talk about past student success as a guide and example of what is possible for current students.”
For example, Ken had a student who didn’t even think she was going to college before his class, and she then was accepted into Stanford. “She took the mindset to heart,” said Ken. “I had another student who came from an immigrant family and was supposed to go to work for the family business and follow in their footsteps after high school,” said Ken. “After my class, he was like ‘I want to get into cybersecurity.’” He was then accepted into Eastern Missouri University, where he was the first in his family to go to college.
Ken reminds us that a growth mindset is the key. “You can do what YOU want to do,” and in Ken’s world, that means for both students and teachers alike.