The Power of the Growth Mindset

A Plan by Rachel Briscoe

As a high school Geometry teacher, my goals for my students are for them to think independently and critically, take
ownership of their learning, and work with their peers. Helping my students develop a growth mindset will be crucial
to achieving these goals.

Why is the growth mindset so important?

“Ms. Briscoe, when are we ever going to use this in real life!?”
Every teacher gets asked this question multiple times a year. Usually, it’s met with an eye roll or a chuckle, but
honestly, the kids are on to something! Our students should absolutely know why we’re asking them to learn the
material we’re teaching them and they should understand why it will be worth their time and effort.
As a Geometry teacher, I get the most push back from students when we start to write proofs. I’ve seen a spectrum
of reactions, from sass and sarcasm to tears and anxiety. Students are hesitant to write proofs because it is the
most unique, open-ended, and challenging skill we tackle in the course. A proof requires the writer to make a
logical argument while justifying each step with a definition or theorem. Proofs are essentially logic puzzles where
students are given the beginning and the end and they have to create a path to connect the two statements. We ask
students to put all of the core skills of Geometry into practice: analyzing a situation, choosing the correct tools from
your tool box, taking a course of action, and evaluating the results. These are the skills I want all of my students to
leave high school with and proofs are the platform in which we are able to develop and practice those skills.
There are some proofs that are incredibly challenging and require students to make multiple attempts and take
creative approaches. The solution is not obvious at first, second, or even third glance. This is where the learning
happens! When students wrestle with proofs, they are learning how all of the definitions, theorems, postulates, and
properties work and what they truly mean. A growth mindset is essential for students to be able to get the most out
of not just proofs, but the course material in general. Every year, I see a group of students with the fixed mindset
who show up each day with blank papers or minimal work. They’re waiting for us to have a class discussion, for
their friend to show them the solution, or for me to post the answer key. As my observations align with Carol
Dweck’s research, students with the fixed mindset do not know “how to tolerate frustration” (Dweck, 2006, p. 93)
and often get angry or upset when the material is challenging. Students with a fixed mindset frequently ask about
which proofs or which problems will be on the test. Their bottom line is knowing enough to get through the test
and they are at risk of leaving my class with an underdeveloped ability to persevere and problem solve.
On the other hand, students with a growth mindset see proofs in a more positive light. They view them as a big
puzzle, approaching each proof full of “endless curiosity and challenge seeking” (Dweck, 2006, p. 63). Students
with the growth mindset come to class with eraser marks, notes in the margins, extra lines squeezed in, and arrows
connecting thoughts all over their papers. As Dweck describes, “the students with growth mindset completely took
charge of their learning and motivation. Instead of plunging into unthinking memorization of course material…
they were studying to learn, not just to ace the test” (Dweck, 2006, p. 61).
The growth mindset is so important because the main purpose of Geometry is to get students to think. I don’t just
want them to robotically mimic what I’ve modeled for them. I want them to think deeply about the problems, make
attempts, and get the wrong answer sometimes. I hope they make mistakes so they can figure out what went
wrong, make adjustments, and have a deeper understanding of the concept. However, when students have a fixed
mindset and are afraid to fail, they never make the mistakes on their own. Eventually, I have to post the answer key
so students can check their work. Students who just copy the key or who try to memorize and regurgitate for the
test are missing all of the deep thinking, all of the wrestling, all of the possibility for improvement. Without a
growth mindset, students will leave my classroom without having made any sort of change or progress because
they allowed the teacher to do the work. A question for reflection on pedagogy from the Stanford Center for
Opportunity Policy in Education is “Are students doing the heavy lifting in the classroom, or is class time
predominantly teacher-directed?” I want my students to own their learning, do their own thinking, and wrestle
through mistakes or else there will be no growth.

How will I incorporate the four steps with your students?

Step 1: Learn to hear your “fixed” mindset voice.
I will teach my students the art of metacognition – thinking about their thinking. I utilize a web-based program in
my classroom called Formative that gives students instant feedback in the form of a circle for each problem that
lights up green when a student answers correctly and red when their answer is incorrect. Students might not be
able to identify whether they have a growth or a fixed mindset yet, but they will definitely be able to articulate how
they feel when they see a red circle light up. Are they immediately angry and frustrated? Does seeing a string of red
circles make them want to continue working on the assignment or give up? What kind of thoughts go through their
mind when they’re working on a question that they just can’t seem to figure out? Does having to put forth effort
correlate to one’s intelligence? Through asking students these types of reflection questions (via a survey, or
embedding them into their assignments on Formative), I can gain insight into the thought patterns of my students
and begin to develop a baseline for my class’s mindset.
I gave my students a set of reflection questions the day after we took our first Unit test. Here’s a sample of the
responses I received to the question “How do you feel when you get a ‘red’ on Formative? What thoughts go
through your head?”
Now that I’ve gathered data on the kind of thoughts my students are having, I can take sample quotes and create an
anchor chart. Then, whenever I’m working with a student and observing thought patterns that point to a fixed
mindset, I can reference the anchor chart. I can point to the two different responses and students can identify
which mindset they’re operating under.
Step 2: Recognize that you have a choice.
Once students have identified their fixed mindset, I can remind them that they are in control of their mindset. I can
remind them of the truths of how our brains grow when we make mistakes.
In Jo Boaler’s book Mathematical Mindsets, she includes a powerful image of two brain scans (Boaler, 2016, p. 12).
Boaler references a study that found that “students’ brains reacted with greater ERN and Pe responses – electrical
activity – when they made mistakes than when their answers were correct”(Boaler, 2016, p. 12). Next to the
anchor chart of fixed/growth mindset thoughts, a poster of the brain scan would be extremely powerful. Whenever
I find a student is frustrated at the mistakes they’ve made, I can direct them to this image and remind them that our
brains “spark and grow” in response to mistakes. Mistakes are good and cause growth! Without mistakes there is
no learning happening! The contrast between the two sets of thought patterns and the two brain scans will help
students realize they can choose to see their mistakes and their struggle positively or negatively.
Step 3: Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice.
Once students are reminded of the choice they can make, I can help guide them through how to see the struggle as
an opportunity for growth. I can remind them of how they may not have mastered the concept yet but that there is
time to continue working towards mastery. I can help them take their comments and re-phrase them in a more
positive manner, or I can reference the anchor chart and point them towards a growth-mindset statement from one
of their peers.
Step 4: Take the growth mindset action.
Once students have talked back to their fixed mindset voice with a growth mindset voice, they are ready to
continue tackling the rest of the problems that lie ahead of them. They will continue working in groups, bouncing
ideas off of their peers, and they will know that their mistakes are not only okay, but the place where growth
happens!
How will I communicate the message of "yet" to my students?
One aspect of my asynchronous blended classroom is that students aren’t turning in homework every day to be
graded. Instead, they are assigned multiple assignments through Formative and they aren’t due until the day of the
quiz (see my actual class calendar below).

Students had four Formative assignments to work on over the course of five class days as well as three weekend
days. While students were encouraged to try to keep up with the general pacing outlined in the calendar, they were
truly able to work at their own pace. Students had time to process the material, make mistakes, ask questions,
work with their group members, hear other students’ thought processes, discuss their questions with me during
class, come to tutorials for additional help if necessary, and correct their assignments. I think the blended model
and pacing of the assignments helps set the tone of “yet”- it is okay to not master the material yet; you have time to
get it figured out. It’s okay to still have red dots; they aren’t permanent. As students fix their mistakes and figure
out the correct answer, they can type in their new answer and see the red dot change to green. I want to phrase red
dots not as “wrong answers” but as opportunities to learn something new or to gain a deeper understanding. Red
dots encourage students to dig into the material. Why did they get it wrong? What other strategies can they try?
Because their assignments aren’t due yet, I hope to relieve the pressure that students feel to just get the right
answers. The goal is for them to shift from the fixed mindset’s “desire to look smart,” scrambling to turn their reds
into greens, to the growth mindset’s “desire to learn” (Graphic by Nigel Holmes).
While students with a growth mindset want to learn regardless of the fact that they’ll be given a grade, grades are
often a huge source of discouragement for many students. Struggling students often feel hopeless and defeated
after receiving a low grade. There are many ways I can use my school’s grading policies and procedures to
communicate the message of “yet” to my students.
 Re-testing. Students are allowed to re-test any test on which they have received a grade below 70.
Traditionally, students have taken retests with either a sense of embarrassment and shame or with an
attitude of indifference (because they’re probably afraid of the possibility of failing again.) If students view
retests as an extension of “yet”, as an opportunity for improvement instead of as a negative consequence of
a failure, they will tackle the retest with a growth mindset.
 Semester design. Students’ semester averages are compose of two nine-weeks grading periods as well as a
final exam. If the first nine-weeks doesn’t go as planned, there is still time to adjust course and end the
semester well.
 Semester averaging. We even have a policy that if a student fails the first semester but their second
semester grade averages with their first semester grade to a passing average, they can regain credit for the
first semester. It is never too late for a student to turn their year around.
 Grade change requests. For extreme situations where a student has really fallen behind and has multiple
retests that need to be completed, it is possible to do a grade change request and change grades from
closed grading periods. If a student retests something from the previous nine weeks, their grade can still be
changed. The hope of a grade change can be a total game changer for students who have not yet mastered
the course material and are at risk of failing the course. It can be a source of encouragement that their hard
work will pay off and that they aren’t just spinning their wheels for nothing.
What resources (content, video, media, etc.) will you use to promote the growth mindset?

I frequently include quotes, images, and non-math related reflection questions in my Formative assignments. I will
include a quote about as aspect of the growth mindset and then ask students to reflect on it. Through Formative, I
can type comments to students and give them feedback on their thoughts, beginning a dialogue. An example of a
quote for students to reflect on might be:
“When the student made this mistake, it was good, because they were in a stage of cognitive struggle and their
brain was sparking and growing.” – Joan Boaler, Mathematical Mindsets (p. 17).

I also embed videos into my Formative assignments as students are used to watching my video lessons. I can
embed a video discussing the growth mindset in a Formative and have students reflect as well. For example:

Source: Sprouts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWn_TJTrnU

In Mathematical Mindsets, Jo Boaler includes an image that depicts brain activity in people with a growth versus a
fixed mindset. I find this image to be incredibly powerful and I can display it on my wall as well as including it in
Formative assignments as a reminder that mistakes lead to brain growth!

Figure 2.1 from Mathematical Mindsets. Source: Moser et al., 2011

Jo Boaler also shares the Fortune 500’s list of most valued skills (Boaler, 2016, p. 29). I will post this list in my
classroom in order to encourage students to focus on the true life skills we are working on developing in Geometry,
specifically being able to work on a team and problem solving.
When and how often will I promote the growth mindset?
I am able to hear students’ fixed mindsets and internal dialogue emerge all throughout my day as I am constantly
answering questions and helping students work through problems during class as well as during tutorials before
and after school. I regularly hear students making comments about everything from “not being good at math” to
needing to drop out of Pre-AP to making jokes about going to community college instead of 4-year university they
dream of attending. I am in the trenches while students are making mistakes and struggling through them. Thus, I
should be promoting the growth mindset with every interaction I have with students, particularly when students
are frustrated or struggling with the material. If I hear a student say something that indicates they are operating
under a fixed mindset, I should guide them through the four steps to help them respond with truth from the growth
mindset.

Another natural time to promote the growth mindset is when I have students reflect after a test to begin a new
unit. I ask students to reflect on their studying habits, their use of time in class, and other academic behaviors that
impacted their results on the test. An example of this is my Unit 1 Self Reflection
(https://goformative.com/clone/ZSCZTY)that students will be completing to begin Unit 2. In these reflections, I
will include reflection questions that help students check their mindset. The graphic from Nigel Holmes comparing
the fixed and growth mindsets would be particularly helpful for generating reflection questions. Are students
avoiding or embracing challenges? How do they feel when their classmates are successful?

I will celebrate the growth we have made as a class. I can share data about items such as homework completion
and growth on our communication rubric. Jo Boaler discusses the topic of “compression” in her book Mathematical
Mindsets (Boaler, 2016, p. 37). Concepts that were once challenging for students are compressed in their brains
once students understand them conceptually. An example in Geometry is vertical angles. Students learn how to
identify and use vertical angles in the first unit and often find it to be very challenging. As the year continues,
students become so comfortable with identifying and using vertical angles that it becomes one the first things they
notice in a situation when writing a proof. Throughout the year, I will celebrate the compression that has occurred
to remind students of how much growth they truly have made.

How will the growth mindset influence or impact the way I approach my work in this course and
the Digital Learning and Leading program? How will I develop my own growth mindset?
As a lifelong overachiever, I tend to want to be perfect at everything as soon as I begin something new. I often
struggle with a fear of failure and some anxiety about being “good enough.” The Digital Learning and Leading
graduate program is a new experience and I’ll be evaluated and graded. Many of the same anxious thoughts, self-
doubts, and worries that I felt all throughout my years in school and in college quickly returned upon beginning the
program, especially since I haven’t received any grades or feedback yet. I remember the panic I felt before my first
set of college exams because they were so mysterious and unknown to me. In order to learn to hear my “fixed”
mindset voice (Step 1), I am going to have to constantly self-reflect and maintain self-awareness in order to catch
myself slipping into my fixed mindset patterns. I know that I will need to keep watch for worries about grades,
deadlines, and others’ perceptions of my work and capabilities. These are my common triggers and frequent
worries.
Next, I am going to have to recognize the choices I can make and the control I have over my thoughts (Step 2). I can
look at my calendar and remind myself that I have scheduled sufficient time throughout my week to work on my
assignments and readings. I can remember the mindsets that I desire my students to have and give myself the same
grace. I can reflect on my hopes and goals for what I will learn and how I will grow from this graduate program.
When I’m passionate and excited about something, the work I have to do shifts from a source of anxiety to an
enjoyable experience. I can think about the principles of a growth mindset and the success that inevitably comes
with persevering through struggles and seeking growth.
After I recall all of the alternative thoughts I can choose to focus on, I will talk back to it with a growth mindset
voice (Step 3). I will remind myself that I am doing the best that I can and that until I receive feedback or criticism,
genuine effort is all I can ask of myself. I will choose to believe that I will grow and that mistakes are unavoidable,
beneficial, and a part of the process.
Finally, I will take the growth mindset action (Step 4) and continue to do my best, thoughtfully complete
assignments, and embrace the struggle. I will do the work with the goal of learning and growing instead of just
trying to make a certain grade.
I believe I am going to go through the four steps fairly often throughout this program, particularly at the beginning
of each course. The fear of the unknown is real and anxiety about school work is a lifelong struggle of mine.
Developing my growth mindset and actively working to fight against my fixed mindset will help me approach this
graduate program with joy instead of obligation, with excitement instead of fear. The more fun I’m having and the
more empowered I feel, the better the results will be. I honestly enjoy working until the fear of failure creeps in.
The more I can hold to my growth mindset, the more ideas I will come up with to improve my classroom, the more
passionately I will complete assignments, and the more delight I will find in my courses. I won’t be working for a
grade, but for powerful knowledge and strategies that will make a positive impact in my classroom and on my
campus.

References
Boaler, J. (2016). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring
Messages, and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dweck, C. (n.d.). How can you change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset? Retrieved September 7, 2018,
from http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Holmes, N. (n.d.). Fixed Mindset, Growth Mindset [Graphic].Sprouts. (2016, April 15). Retrieved September 07,
2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWn_TJTrnU
Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. (n.d.). Unpacking Each Feature of Student-Centered Schools.
Retrieved September 7, 2018, from https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/node/1208