You launch a project at work, but it doesn’t produce the results you were hoping for. You start learning a new skill, but find that it takes a lot longer to master than you expected. You turn in an assignment, and it comes back with low marks. What words first come to mind when you process these outcomes? Failure? Loss? Opportunity? Asset? Doyou feel your confidence plummet, or your resolve strengthen?
If your educational experiences have been all about getting “the right answer,” then you may see any loss of points as a failure. You may also think of your capacity as something fixed and unchangeable; for example, you’re either able to master something or you’re not.
Based on the experiences of students who have successfully completed competency sets, we in the Flexible Option program advocate a different point of view based on two core ideas:
- Sticking with a project over time is a better indicator of success than perfect performance.
- We are all more likely to learn and benefit from mistakes when we see ourselves as changeable, trainable, capable people.
We’re not the first to foster these beliefs, and we encourage you to investigate the work of others who promote the power of persistence and openness in education:
Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn’t the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of “grit” as a predictor of success (6 min 12 sec). Having a growth mindset means that you know you can train your brain to get smarter (2 min 31 sec).
A short animation explaining the theory of growth and fixed mindsets. This is an effective way of teaching young people what a fixed mindset is and how to avoid it. Many of the messages in this video have been borrowed from the theorist Carol Dweck.
Our words can be a powerful part of our success and ability to persist. If you find you’re critical of yourself, consider changing what you say to be more encouraging and to advocate for yourself and your future. The Key to Success? Grit
Growth Mindset Video
Growth Mindset Animation
Developing a Growth Mindset With Your Words
Instead of thinking…
Try Thinking…
I’m not good at this
What am I missing?
I give up
I’ll use a different strategy
It’s good enough
Is this really my best work?
I can’t make this any better
I can always improve
This is too hard
This may take some time
I made a mistake
Mistakes help me learn
I just can’t do this
I am going to train my brain
I’ll never be that smart
I will learn how to do this
Plan A didn’t work
There’s always Plan B
My friend can do it
I will learn from my friend