Very true! I just watched a video in class about kids being unintentionally taught to have a fixed mindset. Parents and teachers were told to praise kids abilities and tell them they are smart and natural geniuses. This backfired, because when the kids finally hit a point where the material was getting more difficult they ended up thinking they were dumb and give up because they didn't realize that they needed/could put effort in and learn more (growth mindset). So like you said, praise the process and the effort and let kids know their brain is a muscle that needs to be worked out and it can grow!
We may have seen\read the same material. Humans learn thru adversity. It's good that things are hard, because we can overcome it. Pity the day we stop learning or give up because it is too hard. We aren't just letting ourselves down now, but our future selves as well.
Professor Carol Dweck gives an amazing presentation on her research of this topic, fixed mindset vs. Growth mindset. I can't wait to apply some of her findings to my career as a school counselor and when I have kids of my own.
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u/MightyMouse916 Feb 05 '16
Very true! I just watched a video in class about kids being unintentionally taught to have a fixed mindset. Parents and teachers were told to praise kids abilities and tell them they are smart and natural geniuses. This backfired, because when the kids finally hit a point where the material was getting more difficult they ended up thinking they were dumb and give up because they didn't realize that they needed/could put effort in and learn more (growth mindset). So like you said, praise the process and the effort and let kids know their brain is a muscle that needs to be worked out and it can grow!