"Sometimes what we know gets in the way of what could be... we think we already know how something works, so we can't imagine how it could work. We know how it's supposed to work so we can't suppose all the things that could be possible." (Silver, 2013).
The mindset of many of the students that walk through my door as ninth graders is fixed. Most of my students are afraid to fail and unwilling to make mistakes. I am often faced with students who believe they are “just not good at science”. As a teacher, it is my job to help those students change their mindset and create a safe space for students to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
“A growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ greatly in every which way – in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments – everyone can change and grow through application and experience.” (Dweck, 2006, p. 7). Students with growth mindsets are risk takers, persevere despite setbacks, see effort as the path to success, and find inspiration in the success of others.
As a mother to three young children, I love observing them play. They don’t worry about making mistakes. They’re just tinkering and to them there is not a wrong way to play. Just the other day, my 2 year old took out the Lego Duplos and began building. He took risks by smashing the Duplos together and building them so tall that they fell over. And when they fell over he started building again. He may be too young to know it, but he has a growth mindset and because of this he is resilient, creative, and has grit. Despite the numerous times that those Duplos crashed to the ground, he continued to explore and create.
It is easy to see that sense of wonder without limitation in young children, but by they time they are young adults that is often missing and we need to change their mindset. "Replicating a sense of play in the classroom is vital to creating a tinkering mindset for children." (Baggett, 2016). In an great TED talk called "We are Makers", Dale Dougherty (2011) said, "It's important to understand that a lot of the origins of our industries, even like Henry Ford, come from this idea of playing and figuring things out in groups."
Resources:
Baggett, Alice. (2016, November 18). Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/46938/building-a-tinkering-mindset-in-young-students-through-makingDweck, Carol S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
Dougherty, D. (2011, January). We are makers. Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers?language=en#t-685350
Silver, J. (2013, April). Hack a banana, make a keyboard! Retrieved May 29, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/talks/jay_silver_hack_a_banana_make_a_keyboard?language=en#t-776899
