Teach Middle East Magazine Jan - Mar 2020 Issue 2 Volume 7 | Page 8

Administrator's Corner
MINDSET MATTERS
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
BY: NATASHA COX
Why does mindset matter?
H
abits of mind that challenge
personal
effectiveness,
accountability,
and
responsibility for the learning
of others poses questions that relate
to the experience of others” (Cranton
& King, 2003).
Stated differently, our mindset drives
our individual choices and actions,
which ultimately transfer through how
we engage and interact with others in
the educational environment.
This concept holds special value when
teachers work with students. In a
recent consultation with elementary
teachers, I was briefed about some of
the challenges they faced. They shared
many of the deficiencies that students
had in academic and social behavioral
matters. While I offered various
suggestions to support the students,
I realised that there was not only a
need for more dynamic professional
practices, but also that decisions had
already been made about the future of
some students, even though there are
several months of instructional time
remaining in the school year.
As educators, we’ve all had similar
experiences. Sometimes, students do
struggle on their academic and social
behavioural journeys. Sometimes,
educators
have
certain
beliefs
(mindset) about what skills we bring
to the classroom, what the students
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Term 2 Jan - Mar 2020
"should" know, or be able to do when
we've planned, delivered and assessed
instruction. We may even suggest that
our degrees, roles, years of experience,
or current state of knowledge should
be enough to yield the desired
outcomes we have for ourselves and
those we educate. However, if the habit
of mind is that a student "just can't", or
is somehow innately incapable, it may
be worthwhile to assess the mindset of
both the educators and the students.
What is mindset?
The concept expounded by Carol
Dweck (2015), contends that everyone
has a set of beliefs about their
intelligence, whether it is fixed or one
of growth. A fixed mindset reflects
the belief that people are more or less
born with a certain measure of talent
or intelligence, which doesn't require
much effort to accomplish various
tasks. These individuals are said to
focus more on documenting these
attributes, or sticking with what they
know.
Conversely, those with a growth
mindset believe that intellect and
talent can be developed, regardless
of what measure a person seems to
naturally possess, creating a love for
learning, and the perseverance it takes
to accomplish one’s goals. In other
words, one’s increased, and consistent
effort is a major factor in producing
positive outcomes.
Class Time
Research shows that mindset is critically
important to a teacher's professional
practice because it impacts the
way their students are engaged in
learning. Opportunities for increased
student achievement, is impacted
by the approaches to learning that
are used. In fact, the relationship
between mindset and achievement
are demonstrated by beliefs teachers
have about student's intelligence and
their behaviours. It influences which
instructional, pedagogical techniques
they use, and the types of problems
they pose, which all flow from the
teacher's mindset (Bethge, 2018).
Implications for possessing a growth
mindset are compelling. It prompts
us to ask, What do we really believe
about student's abilities to perform
to expected levels of proficiency? Do
I have the necessary train of thought,
and skills to impact this student's
progress? “Does it really matter that
everyone did not have a good learning
experience today?” (Cranton & King,
2003).
What does Growth
Mindset Look Like in the
Educational Environment?
5 5 There is empirical evidence that
teachers and students are likely
to benefit from exploring and
possessing a growth mindset,
which fosters abilities and skills
to improve over time, when both
give immense effort and enriched
learning experiences (Clark & Sousa,
2018). In this case, we understand
that what we (and students) may not
know today can be improved and
advanced by next term or next year.
5 5 Educators with a growth mindset
are truly lifelong learners, always
seeking ways to develop and
enrich their capacity personally and
professionally, "serving as a student
first in aspiration of achievement
for all stakeholders” (Casey, 2016).
It means we are “definitively
unfinished" (Clark & Sousa, 2018),
consistently prioritising learning,