Focus on collaboration and process

Margaret Heffernan’s TED talk, “Why it’s time to forget the pecking order at work” drove home the importance of helpfulness and collaboration over intelligence. Oftentimes, group work in class, which we claim as collaboration, is really just individuals working near each other; Either the problem is too simple or the classroom culture has not emphasized the validity of every perspective. I appreciate the connection of social cohesion to a growth mindset because it again underlines that success is not reached by one’s own intelligence but instead through true collaboration and a growth mindset.

“The Power of belief - mindset and success” by Eduardo Briceno reminds us of the absolute necessity of modeling a growth mindset in our classroom. I think it has to start with deemphasizing grades. Teachers are often just as bad about focusing on grades by celebrating students who earn high grades on tests and projects. Students should be celebrated, but to truly model a growth mindset, the praise needs to focus on the learning process and overcoming challenges instead of final scores. I have also come to realize how important feedback is to strengthening a growth mindset. Receiving a blanket grade does nothing but emphasize the grade, but when detailed feedback is also given, the focus moves beyond the grade and back to the learning. Feedback that includes praise as well as suggestions for improvement is a powerful motivator and has the ability to truly transform how students view the assignments and the whole learning process.