Analyzing and Relating to... Growth Mindset Theory
Growth Mindset Theory isn't a concept I was acutely aware of before watching and reading the explanations of Professor Carol Dweck. With that said, it represents intriguing ideas that display credence especially with the data provided. Shying away from praising intelligence and instead focusing on praising the effort to reach a higher understanding of content makes a lot of sense in the void of information provided. Personally, I can think of multiple occasions in my youth during grade and middle school where the 'fixed' mind set was prominent in my mental makeup. The "high" of praise was strong, and the fear of appearing less than in front of others dictated the fixed mindset for me during these years as Professor Carol Dweck expertly demonstrates.
It's funny to think of how greatly a message can differ to a growing mind when variation of words are slightly different. The impact of what appears to be a harmless, morale boosting message to a child can alter their motivations, leaving less than desirable consequences. After all, it's easy to imagine why a parent would constantly compliment their child's intelligence and growth, not realizing what damage it can do. Honestly, I can say I've been on both sides of the spectrum. As previously mentioned, during my younger years of schooling I preferred doing things with ease or minimal effort. When things appeared to be challenging my enthusiasm would certainly shift. This changed as I got older, especially since returning to school in recent years. I attribute this change by my overall desire to challenge and better myself as a writer. Being generally more enthusiastic about schooling, learning and bettering myself as a writer probably lends itself more to my mind set change more than anything.
Regardless, I look forward to further delving into this proposed Growth Mindset Theory. Actively being aware of it's principles and consciously enacting some central ideas intrigues me to experiment and look for any difference in my attitude towards school and work. Keeping this theory in mind when interacting with my younger brother also seems like a interesting experiment to conduct. I shall see where this goes, along with delving further into some principles from this theory.
It's funny to think of how greatly a message can differ to a growing mind when variation of words are slightly different. The impact of what appears to be a harmless, morale boosting message to a child can alter their motivations, leaving less than desirable consequences. After all, it's easy to imagine why a parent would constantly compliment their child's intelligence and growth, not realizing what damage it can do. Honestly, I can say I've been on both sides of the spectrum. As previously mentioned, during my younger years of schooling I preferred doing things with ease or minimal effort. When things appeared to be challenging my enthusiasm would certainly shift. This changed as I got older, especially since returning to school in recent years. I attribute this change by my overall desire to challenge and better myself as a writer. Being generally more enthusiastic about schooling, learning and bettering myself as a writer probably lends itself more to my mind set change more than anything.
Regardless, I look forward to further delving into this proposed Growth Mindset Theory. Actively being aware of it's principles and consciously enacting some central ideas intrigues me to experiment and look for any difference in my attitude towards school and work. Keeping this theory in mind when interacting with my younger brother also seems like a interesting experiment to conduct. I shall see where this goes, along with delving further into some principles from this theory.
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