Practical Application of Growth Mindset Theory

 

Over several years, I have delved deep into this research, exploring the means by which to apply the findings into practical everyday life in the classroom with children.  It became very clear early on in this exploration that parents were another audience to reach in educating around the ideas of Mindsets. In many ways, this audience is more important to reach because it is from parents and care-givers that children pick up and emulate behaviours and language. This is where our Mindset begins.  Therefore, ideas surrounding intelligence and learning are not only relevant to the classroom.  The Mindset that we find ourselves in and what we achieve in relation to that, will affect everything we do. Mindset supports the growth of resilience in times of struggle and this is a skill for life. During my journey, I have become a parent myself and therefore my understanding of both the theoretical research and the everyday challenges of parenting and how to marry the two has become a large part of my story and direction.

On becoming a parent, I thought that my biggest challenge was going to be around instilling a Growth Mindset in my daughter. However, the past few years has also made me realise just how important my own Mindset is in this endeavour, both in the sense of modelling behaviours and language that will support her in building her own Growth Mindset but also in building my own Growth Mindset around parenting which is the biggest challenge that I, and many others, will ever undertake. It has challenged and tested me in so many ways already and my knowledge and understanding of this research and its findings has greatly supported me in my journey so far. I believe it has helped me to grow into the parent I wish to be. Of course, I am on that journey for life and I will make mistakes along the way but hey- that’s what it’s all about!