Do some of your students give up easily when faced with a challenging problem or concept?

Are your students sometimes too worried about “looking smart?”

Do any of your students get extremely upset when they make a mistake on an assignment or get a question wrong on a test?

Do any of your students attach their self worth to the grades on their report card?

This is a very common problem in our independent schools. Some of the children at our schools have been told all of their lives: “You are so smart!” Many of our students cruise along with their natural intelligence until they come up against a concept that they’ve never seen before and WHAM, they shut down, they cry, they literally slide the piece of paper back across the desk to the teacher and say, “I can’t do this.”

Do you want to know how to fix this problem at your school? I have watched this problem almost disappear at our school. We have sustained this change for six years. I have heard a 4th Grader say, “Wow, now I don’t have to keep acting smart.”

If you are curious about how you can make this transformation take place for your school, today’s episode of The Private School Leader Podcast is for you as we learn how to Turn “Pedestal Kids” Into “Gritty Kids” By Implementing Growth Mindset.

About 30 years ago, Stanford University psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck and her colleagues began researching attitudes about failure. Those findings led to more research that showed a student’s underlying beliefs (mindset) about learning and intelligence significantly impacted motivation and achievement. Dweck coined the terms “growth mindset” and “fixed mindset” to provide a frame for her research that could be more easily understood. Implementing Growth Mindset at our school was the most impactful decision that I have made in my career.

I hope that you will listen to this episode and find it valuable. More importantly, I hope that you will see that this can have a positive impact on the kids at your school. After you listen to this episode, you might want to consider implementing Growth Mindset at your school. If so, I’ve got you covered. For Episode 4, I have created a free “Plug & Play PD” for you called Turn “Pedestal Kids” Into “Gritty Kids” By Implementing Growth Mindset. This is a 45 minute webinar complete with guided notes and 5 Mini-lessons with Google Slideshows and Student Handouts. You can use it with your teachers at a staff meeting and begin your Growth Mindset journey at your school. You can grab the free webinar and guided notes over at theprivateschoolleader.com/episode4 Thanks!

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