| Topic: Self-Awareness | Unit: Growth Mindset | Level: Primary |
What is SEL?
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults
understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for
others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.
5 Core Topics of SEL
Chart with brief, very brief definitions (Some type of graphic?)
What is Growth Mindset?
Definition
Growth mindset is a way of interpreting the world that believes we are constantly growing, learning, getting better and have the ability to do so. It’s a belief that intelligence and talent can be improved and developed by applying effort. Growth mindset Is believing that you can improve, whereas, the opposite, a fixed mindset, believes that basic qualities of intelligence and talent are fixed and cannot change.
Benefits & Applications
A growth mindset tells us that our applied effort is directly tied to our outcomes. Practicing a growth mindset keeps individuals focused on improvement and avoids attitudes of failure. The benefit of motivation is key for growth mindset; a motivated individual is more likely to persist, embrace challenge, become more resilient to frustrations, and have a greater focus on future goals.
1 To 1 Exercises
- What is Growth Mindset?
| Materials None | Setting Anytime, preferably with a little bit of space for moving |
We know that when you work out your muscles, those muscles get stronger, but we tend to forget that this is the same with our brain. To introduce or help a child become familiar with the concept of a growth mindset, think of a quick physical exercise, such as doing a push-up or a few jumping jacks. Ask the child, “If we keep working out, will our muscles get stronger?” Then, explain that just like our physical muscles get stronger, our mind is a muscle that is always growing and learning as well. Refer back to the physical exercise, and ask, “How would our muscle become stronger?” Explain that just like we exercise to make our physical muscles stronger, we put effort and practice into learning to make our brains grow and learn.
- Make it Positive
| Materials Optional paper and writing utensil | Setting Anytime. Useful for times of frustration or difficulty |
Help the child to practice reframing how they think about growing, learning and improving. Think about statements that people often say when they are frustrated, such as “I can’t do this,” or “It’s too hard.” Reframe these in a positive way using growth mindset. Write some sayings down for future reference or create a colorful chart with them to post and serve as a reminder. Here are some examples.
I can’t do it à I am going to try.
I’ll never be good at this. à It’ll take me some time to be good at this.
This is too hard à I need help understanding this.
- Make a Plan
| Materials Paper and writing utensil | Setting Anytime. Useful for times of frustration or difficulty |
Sometimes plans don’t work out! An important part of growth mindset is believing in the ability to grow, learn and improve through continued effort. A helpful strategy in applying effort is to teach children how to step back from a frustration or attempted solution and view it with a new lens.
Try walking a child through a planning process. It is helpful to write these down so that it can be reviewed again. Use the following prompts as a guide?
- What happened?
- What caused the problem?
- What new strategies can I try?
- Moving Mindset
| Materials None needed | Setting Anytime |
Involving the body in a kinesthetic movement can be a good way to increase memory and retention skills. Using the growth mindset statements from the “Make it Positive” exercise, or any of the statements below, work with the child to come up with movements to remember them. Start with just a few that the child can focus on. Here are some example statements and suggested movements.
I am going to try! Thumbs up
It’ll take me some time to be good at this. Point to the wrist where a watch would be.
I need help understanding this. Point to the temple as if you are thinking hard.
That was just my first try. Mistakes help me learn. Place one fist on top of the other as if you’re climbing.
Improvements can always be made. Hold up arms as though you are flexing your biceps.
Additional Resources
Storybooks
Nadia, the Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still by Karlin Gray
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Delores Jordan and Roslyn Jordan
Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be by Charlotte Foltz Jones and John O’Brien
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
For Adults
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Growth Mindset Video Library
Growth Mindset Yoga
Helpful Tips
- Focus on effort-based praise and feedback. The growth mindset requires reinforcement of effort and improvement rather than results. Rewarding growth and improvement consistently will drive motivation.
- The word “yet” is an important part of the growth mindset vocabulary. Learn the power of “yet” and practice it often. Mistakes are bumps on the road to success.
Fascinating Details
A study conducted with elementary students that found that students receiving praise on effort rather than achievement showed more challenge-seeking behavior and motivation for learning.
Your brain is a muscle. The more you use it, the more it will grow! Mental effort and intellectual difficulty require the brain to establish new neural connections. The brain physically grows stronger and more intelligent when it is challenged. Even if it does not feel like you’ve accomplished everything you were attempting, your brain has grown stronger.
Just for Fun
“Smart is not something you are…smart is something you get!” – Stephanie Harvey
Module Layout & Design ideas for designer:
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Resources Used