A Parent’s Guide to a Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” has become an indispensable tool for educators, professionals, athletes, and parents all over the world. We find that much of Bahay Turo’s approach to teaching and learning resonates with Dweck’s insights into the power of the mindset. The best Math tutors and English tutors for kids can be found in Bahay Turo precisely because our community embraces the following key points from Dweck:
Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset
The basic belief that we can only work with what we are born with is a limiting belief. We instead subscribe to the positive mindset that we can go beyond our natural inborn abilities. How? The first step is believing that we can grow and achieve new heights. No matter what, all of us can push beyond our preconceived limit.
Failure and Mistakes are Learning
Mistakes happen. We stumble, we fail to the point where yo almost feel like quitting. When these happen, we say to ourselves, “It’s okay to make mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. Mistakes are learning opportunities.” When a child gets a 56/100 on a Math test, we tell them, “Let’s see how we can better prepare for the next test. What other approach can we try?”. When we de-stigmatize making mistakes, we allow ourselves to breathe and expand. The experience of failure and overcoming failure teaches us grit and resilience. It’s also important to remember it’s not a race. It does not matter how slow we learn, as long as we do not stop.
Our Brains Can Grow
Our brain is like a muscle. When we make mistakes and learn from those mistakes, our brain grows. The feeling of going through something difficult is the feeling of our brain growing. Here are some questions for self-reflection: What did I do today that made me think or try hard? What new strategies did I try today? What mistake did I make that taught me something? What did I learn from that mistake? Every answer we give is an opportunity for our brains to expand and embrace a growth mindset.
The Power of “Not Yet”
Instead of saying “I can’t do it”, say “I can’t do it YET“. Instead of saying “I don’t know it”, say “I don’t know it YET“. Reinforce with “If I learn and practice, I will do it and I will know it!” There is no magic formula that gives instant wisdom or instant growth but through learning, reflecting, pausing, and doing, we can achieve success.
Praise
Some people are naturally gifted. Things come easily for them. Not all are successful. Dweck explains that it isn’t just talent or abilities that bring success. Instead, it is the growth mindset. Rather than praising a child for being born with a high IQ or being “perfect” (aka, not making mistakes), try highlighting effort, strategies, progress, or persistence. Some examples are: “You tried really hard and you used the right strategies” and “What a creative way to solve that problem!” These phrases uplift a child’s self-esteem and encourages taking on challenges and learning from mistakes.
How Bahay Turo Can Help
In Bahay Turo, we aim to foster a warm and supportive community that benefits students, parents, and teachers. Teachers on the Bahay Turo platform always try to impart the joy of reading, the beauty of math, the spark of creativity, or the delight of being a lifelong learner. By embracing Carol Dweck’s thoughts on the growth mindset, Bahay Turo hopes to motivate children with a love of learning and a resilience which will lead to lifelong accomplishment.
To find the best online tutor for kids, Bahay Turo can help. Sign up now (it’s free!) and get a free trial session. See you soon in Bahay Turo! Don’t forget to save the infographic below 😉
