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Original poster

'Growth Mindset'

31 replies

MerryMarigold · 14/11/2017 13:34

Introduced by newish HT.

AIBU to eye roll? [Sounds like a lot of David Bannerish type stuff]

Or is it genuinely good?

OP posts:
Original poster
MerryMarigold · 14/11/2017 14:47

Sorry, thanks countrybump

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Original poster
MerryMarigold · 14/11/2017 14:45

David Banner is the Hulk! David Brent, that's the one...thanks Sirzy.

I wondered about whether it's bobbins or not - and just a lot of stock 'phrases'. Ds1 can have a bit of an 'I can't do it' attitude so maybe that's good, working hard and trying at everything is a good attitude to have. But equally I believe in focusing on what you're good at, rather than putting tons and tons of effort into something which isn't your natural talent and ending up average at it.

Giraffe, if it's so 3 years ago, then what's new, man?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 14/11/2017 14:34

I assumed this was a zombie thread because Growth Mindset is so three years ago.

It's bobbins. Non-replicable bobbins.

Telling people that if they put effort in instead of giving up they can actually get better is what teachers have been doing forever. Growth Mindset is pseudo-science tied up around that notion that labels people in a manner similar to VAK with questionnaires.

EducationOpinionsRUs · 14/11/2017 14:03

Genuinely good, and really important - but often misunderstood and badly supported, and not helped by the fact that its best-known proponent (Carol Dweck) tends to oversimplify (e.g. the neuroscience) and oversell (e.g. slip into denying that there are differences in how good people are at things).

Well done, it can help people see difficulties as opportunities, that let them learn to do stuff they couldn't do before, rather than as a sign they should give up. It's hard to overstate how important that is!

countrybump · 14/11/2017 13:44

Genuinely good - if they are actually cultivating a growth mindset rather than just talking about it!

It's about learning to learn and not using a fear of failure as a reason not to attempt something.

My DC primary school has this - one thing I've noticed is that my children are keen to try new things and are more resilient. They never say 'I can't do that' or 'I'm no good at that' but say 'I can't do that YET' and are encouraged to find a way to help them be able to do it.

It's basically changing the way they look at a situation. I suppose seeing opportunities rather than barriers?

'Growth mindset' is a phrase that screams David Brent though, I agree!!

Sirzy · 14/11/2017 13:37

My ds primary school has just introduced it. I had a long chat to the head this morning about it and I thought it sounded very good. More about encouraging a more positive way of thinking and making that part of the system in the school for staff and pupils