Growth Mindset v Fixed Mindset

I think this idea of blended learning is a wildly important goal for me in my classroom. I have been using blended learning in a limited form before the pandemic, but to truly incorporate COVA with my 8th graders is a huge undertaking and a bit terrifying.

My growth mindset is strongest in areas of parenting and teaching because I feel like I have no other option than to keep getting better everyday for these individuals who rely on me, though I will admit to a fear of failure holding me back from trying certain things in my classes. The fear of failure is not so much about looking stupid as much as it is about wasting my students’ time on something that was ineffective when time is so precious. Fortunately, I have been teaching the same subject for a decade now and have built up enough knowledge of students and activities that I feel more confident creating and altering lessons that didn’t quite hit their mark in the past.

To promote a true growth mindset in my students, I will reiterate that it’s about the process and not about the results necessarily. Dweck pointed out several very successful people in athletics and business who rose to the top while still struggling with a fixed mindset. My 8th grade students are all very concerned with how they look in class and what others think of them, but if the focus of learning is on the process then it doesn’t matter (I hope) if someone else is able to finish their work sooner or without asking questions because each student is able to show growth every day.

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