Mindset

This book by Carol Dweck discusses the two mindsets that people have: the fixed mindset or the growth mindset. Fixed mindset says that you're born with an intelligence, skill set, and talents and what you have is what you have. Growth mindset says that every moment and every place is a starting point; you can learn a talent, learn a skill, or receive an education. You don't look at all the artistic people and the athletic people and the smart classmates and think "wow, I wish I could do that." You become that. Certainly, we have our natural talents that we are born with - our starting points - but we can always grow, always learn more. We can take an art class, spend some time in the gym, or become motivated enough to become a better student. We read this book in one of my grad classes this semester and I've been officially brainwashed; I see growth mindset everywhere. When I was asked by one of my professors to help her with an ongoing project in which I find her resources to help middle school teachers motivate difficult students, I knew that growth mindset was our starting point. So many teachers are fixed mindset themselves and/or believe a fixed mindset about their students, and no motivation or connection occurs. This book is awesome, and I highly recommend it.