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1.6 Cultivate a Growth Mindset in Yourself First (Required to earn certificate)
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Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on March 11, 2024 at 11:01 am💬 Reflection/Discussion:
- How can you authentically model a growth mindset through your attitude, behaviors, and teaching practices? How can you support and inspire other faculty and staff to cultivate a growth mindset and related behaviors in their academic department and college?
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Having humility, flexiblity and openness to feedback from students when they are not feeling supported. Leading by example, sharing your experiences with positive growth mindset outcomes.
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Great ways to show growth mindset! You could take this a step further by asking students to reflect on their own experiences where they have shown a growth mindset (everyone has these – it might be a hobby, a sport, or a skill where they have persevered and grown through practice) and then brainstorm what it would look like to apply the same growth mindset to their current academic class.
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When teachers include activities that model the thinking process, students inevitably see how thinking is messy and working through problems is difficult. Even the teacher will have to undergo some struggle and overcoming of challenges in order to get a correct answer.
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Danesh, I teach intro-level math, where it may seem like the teacher has all the answers. But I still see ways to display the “struggle” part of learning to my students by asking them to point out my mistakes or by verbalizing my thought process when I am presented with a new problem by a student. Do you have any other specific ways that an instructor can convey in their teaching that they are learning and growing right along with their students?
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You ask a good question here. I teach critical thinking, a course about giving reasons for your beliefs. I often ask questions or raise issues that require students to take different considerations into account. In groups and as a class, I encourage them to make an all things considered judgment after many arguments are given. The process of making arguments can be slow and a little painstaking, even for me, who may not have all the arguments prepared beforehand. I made my earlier comments in the context of an activity such as this one. I’m hoping that there is some counterpart to teaching math!
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Hello Danesh – I used to teach Critical Thinking as well (at Laguardia)! Do you find that sometimes students want to know what your position is on an issue? What do you think would promote growth in this situation? (I am not quite sure myself and usually wonder how to respond when it happens.)
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Consider showing struggling, for real, with students. Put up a problem not based on the knowledge of the subject, but on other skills that might be challenging for all, such as logic or a Suduko. Let the students see they can figure some things out even before the teacher gets it. Then, have students discuss why this activity was useful. What did they learn that they can apply to the class and to other challenges?
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I’m interested too in the second part of this question: “How can you support and inspire other faculty and staff to cultivate a growth mindset?” I held a workshop on learning mindsets at my campus last year, but I find that those events are somewhat self-selective – the staff and faculty who attend are already passionate about growth mindset and looking for ways to improve their own teaching effectiveness. Can anyone here speak to effective strategies for promoting an understanding of Mindset GPS within an entire department/unit?
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Seth,
For me, it has been both through bringing it up in formal settings (when it connects in meetings) and informally. I find that when faculty complains about students, it is a good entry point. Start by empathizing and then sharing one strategy that helps you. Maybe then follow up with an email that has a resource. Encourage that professor and follow up. If you feel comfortable, they tell them about the mindset modules and share your experience to encourage them to join.
Some folks are going to be curmudgeons, but they will be like that no matter what. Look for those frustrated, but open to suggestions.
Deborah
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I teach a course about the relationship between “society” and Art, examining how each reflects and shapes the other with a historical survey of American musicals through the lens of the lens of the differing moral structures of liberals and conservatives. When I created the course, I assumed I’d be moderating robust discussions of the cultural issues between the two camps. Because I teach in a public American university in a blue-state city, my classrooms skew so heavily liberal that I sometimes find myself explaining/supporting conservative views I don’t necessarily agree with to make sure that every student has the emotional space to speak freely about their own views. I tell my students from Day One that I’m not there to change anyone’s mind. I’m there to help them understand why someone might disagree with them.
As an adjunct lecturer, I seldom get to interact with my faculty colleagues, but I have regular meetings with my colleagues in Academic Advisement. As a senior advisor, I am often asked questions by my colleagues. I try always to validate them for asking the question–sometimes recalling when I’d struggled to learn how to apply a certain policy or a mistake I’d made by assuming that Policy Z was a logical extension of Policies X and Y when it was something very different because the circumstances that called it onto being were different. I also try to connect my answers to material they already know because scaffolding increases the probability that the answer will go into long-term memory storage so they can build on it for the future.
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Hi Denise,
One of the ideas from the reading in this section that came to mind as I read your post is “actively cultivating a growth mindset community or support system by connecting with like-minded colleagues”. When I was an adjunct lecturer, finding time for professional development opportunities at my college or even informal conversations with colleagues about courses and pedagogy was difficult, but extremely helpful. Do you see opportunities for this kind of community-building in advising or among the faculty (maybe even other adjunct lecturers?)
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Thank you for highlighting the importance of fostering a community of growth mindset among faculty and staff. In response to your query about building such a community, I find that informal, cross-departmental discussions can be incredibly effective. These discussions can be centered around sharing experiences, challenges, and best practices in cultivating a growth mindset.
Moreover, creating a structured mentorship program where more experienced faculty can guide newer members can also promote a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. Such programs can encourage open dialogues and provide a safe space for faculty to discuss their insecurities and learn from each other.
In the context of advising, I see a significant opportunity for community-building through regular workshops or sharing sessions that focus on practical issues advisors face and exploring them through a growth mindset lens. These sessions could include case studies, role-playing exercises, and group discussions that reinforce the principles of a growth mindset and demonstrate how they can be applied in everyday interactions with students.
Additionally, leveraging technology to create virtual communities can help overcome some of the logistical challenges adjunct lecturers face. Online forums, webinars, and shared digital resources can facilitate ongoing conversations and support among faculty who might not be able to meet in person regularly.
Overall, the key is to create multiple entry points for faculty and staff to engage with growth mindset concepts and practice them in a supportive, collaborative environment.
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These are good suggestions, Faiza! I especially think cross-departmental discussions can give us creativity and a fresh perspective on the challenges we face within our own field. I also noticed your recommendation of a mentoring program for junior faculty – my department does not formally do this, and I often wished for a mentor in my first year of full-time teaching. Thankfully I have found that senior faculty are often willing to talk and help if junior faculty take the initiative to reach out to them.
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I think the more we can find time for collegial conversations, the better we will all be. I think all departments need to think about carving out even 15 minutes of departmental meeting time to give faculty a chance to share what they are doing in their classrooms. It could be focused – so, for example, one meeting we could focus on what you are doing to encourage growth mindset, and in another, we might focus on strategies for effective group work etc.
I also love the idea of having mentors for new faculty. I was lucky enough to have one when I started and found it quite helpful.
The bottom line – we need more opportunities to share our practices with others!
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Yes – I second making time for it in department meetings. This could be setting aside time for an informal discussion or, more formally, asking a faculty member to present on specific strategies that they have found useful. Besides cultivating a growth mindset in the department, this also can help the faculty member grow their presentation skills… not to mention their CV/resume. Growth all around!
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I practice growth mindset by attending conferences, PD’s, engaging in online modules (like this one) and constantly reading and thinking about growth mindset. On the cognitive and emotional level, I strive to past the hurdles that were discussed in the video clip (i.e., negative voices, defeating thoughts and insecurities).
To model growth mindset, I provide professional development for the adjunct lecturers in my program. We discuss successes and where we would like to grow. In between meetings I share articles or blog posts of interests. In terms of students, I always take the time to model growth mindset within the scope of our major projects, by showing them how they can improve or if no improvement is needed, how they can obtain or use extended resources.
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Hi Elizabeth, it sounds like you are doing well at providing both adjunct lecturers and your students with effective strategies and appropriate resources for growth. I would love to hear more about how you provide professional development for adjunct lecturers: this is a need within my department as well. Is this a formal mentoring or development program?
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There are many ways in which I can model a growth mindset in the college community. I share with students stories from my own education (like on Day 1 of college, I registered for Philosophy thinking it was Psychology—and how I dealt with that). It was a true semester of growth on many levels. In the classroom, I think I can do more encouraging of students through meaningful feedback that points them to the next step or level and challenge them to think more–rather than trying to communicate with grades. I try to do this now. I also try to give them time to reflect on and share their learning and their journey in learning. I also try to give students opportunities to give me feedback, both openly in the classroom and more anonymously through online forms. Talking about how things are going is the norm, or at least a goal. I want to know what’s going on for them and what specific ways I might orient the course more to what they need to or want to learn. By teaching FYE-enhanced classes (a current BMCC initiative) students are also directly encouraged to develop growth mindset practices (such as setting SMART goals). Likewise, through the BMCC Teaching Collaboratory, I worked to emphasize nonjudgmental peer observation of teaching so that instructors focus more on student learning and meeting their objectives and less on “how it went.”
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My first year philosophy course as an undergrad provided stories I tell to this day as well!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d love to hear more about the FYE-enhanced courses at BMCC. We keep talking about making changes to the FYE at QCC, but as a faculty member, I’m not sure what substantive changes have been made recently. I’d love to hear what’s going on at BMCC.
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This past semester I taught a writing intensive class (or writing across the curriculum) for the first time. I decided to make it “ungraded” and had students set their own goals for what they wanted to accomplish related to writing during the semester. This was helpful because they were all starting at different levels of writing skill, English fluency, etc., and also had different education and career plans, and so a one size fits all approach definitely would not have worked. I think this fostered a growth mindset by acknowledging that whatever skill level they were at in terms of writing was fine, and that we would work through the semester to advance those skills without judgment or competition. Also, by taking the focus off the grade, students were able to focus on their growth! It was a little messy at the end of the semester with self-assessment and final grades, but, I know that I will learn from my “failures” and do better next semester.
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To own up to mistakes and failures in class, to not be overly ashamed of things I don’t know. To be mindful of overt self-talk in those situations. I remember I used to be terrified of saying something wrong and then having to correct myself late in class. Now, when I make a mistake, I come back and own it without making too much of a fuss. Other times, instead of showing embarrassment at not knowing something I show excitement and curiosity. I think the same applies to the department and college. Even though we are experts in our niche area, there is so much we don’t know. So showing receptiveness to amend my ignorance can remind others of my desire for learning and growth.
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I have had a similar experience where I made a mistake during a class discussion and had to correct the wrong information the following day. It takes a lot of humility and self-awareness to acknowledge a mistake in front of the students, fearing they will lose confidence in my competency as an instructor. Accepting mistakes openly can motivate students to do the same, especially when they are directly involved in providing care for sick patients. Reporting a mistake can be a learning opportunity for oneself and others and finding strategies to prevent it from recurring.
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IÂ believe that demonstrating a growth mindset through my attitude and actions when receiving course evaluations from students is crucial. While some feedback may be positive, there are instances of harsh criticism. Upon carefully reviewing and reflecting on the assessments, I acknowledge negative emotions while showing self-compassion and empathy. When confronted with negative criticism, I consciously practice self-awareness and self-regulation to ensure it does not impede my ability to maintain a respectful and motivating relationship with the students.
In order to support my colleagues in fostering a growth mindset, I set an example by exhibiting resilience in the face of challenges. Additionally, I encourage my peers to engage in conferences and workshops and share peer-reviewed articles on best practices. Furthermore, I volunteer to mentor students in the health science department, emphasizing the benefits of mentorship for both the mentor and mentee. My objective is to inspire my colleagues to cultivate a growth mindset.
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Modeling growth mindset involves not only sharing personal experiences of failure and growth, but also being willing to admit lack of knowledge or expertise in real time. For example, when confronted with a question outside of ones expertise, an instructor should candidly admit that they lack knowledge of this particular subject/area/topic but they are willing to look it up for students or direct them to appropriate resources. Additionally, designing in-class activities and low stakes assignments that allow for failure can help students understand the value of practice.
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That sounds very true. Modeling a good response to ignorance let’s our students see a good way to react to not knowing as opposed to, say, making something up or being ashamed that they don’t know. Students need to see questions as a way to learn and grow, not the price they pay for getting information that they will need for an exam.
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For one of my classes, I assign a formal research report. Students complete this assignment in multiple stages across the semester so that I can provide constructive feedback throughout the semester and students can benefit from guidance at each stage. The goal is that all students will get the individualized guidance they need to submit a high quality formal report. I try to emphasize to students that writing about complex scientific content is challenging, but can be broken up into simpler steps. By the end of the semester, all of my students are able to submit an excellent report. I also tell students that I still often get feedback from others when I write something and that this feedback always results in an improved product, hoping to convey that we can all improve at any stage of our careers.
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I’m thinking that I can model a growth mindset in ways such as the following:
a.) attitude – making sure that I convey the idea that the content and structure of my teaching is open to possible revision and challenges. Noting is carved in stone. There are things that I know/understand and there are things that i may still be exploring. So, conveying this is important. As is admitting when I don’t now something or when i made a mistake.
b.) behaviors – checking in with students on a regular basis and encouraging a growth mindset with them. And giving them some tools with which to do this.
c.) teaching practices – teaching in a way that facilitates a growth mindset
As far as supporting and inspiring other faculty and staff to cultivate a growth mindset and related behaviors in their academic department and college, one way to do this is to share some of what I am getting from this workshop. But also, to speak the language of a growth mindset when we are discussing teaching and learning and creating policies and programming for students.
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I like your “ABPs” of growth mindset (attitudes, behaviors, practices)! Do you have examples of specific practices you could share?
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Like other folks have mentioned, I think acknowledging my mistakes or ignorance and explaining how that will be addressed is key for modeling growth mindset, though it’s important to do this in an authentic way. For me, that might mean expressing some light disappointment in myself but following through and coming back with the right information.
I also think emphasizing the importance of students’ asking questions from the start of my engagement with them can be helpful, and there is the opportunity provide tangible reinforcement for active participation through grading.
Colleagues can be supported in cultivating growth mindset by treating them with the same encouragement and non-judgement that I treat students with. I think creating and promoting spaces for peer support and professional development, e.g. for content review or mock instruction within academic departments, could also be helpful. I also think just sharing that I have reviewed these modules could be a good way to model and destigmatize the process for colleagues.
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I’m glad you mentioned the way you speak to colleagues. I can certainly think about this more, and suggest the modules to coworkers. We have to see our students as full of potential– and our colleagues as well! When people say, “I’m not good at…” I think: well, do you want to be good at that thing? You may never be great at it, but odds are you can be better.
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Sharing an anecdote from when we were students and how we managed to overcome a situation makes them reflect on something similar that they are facing. I encourage them to visit me during my office hours (or student hours, as we now call them). Speaking with them allows me to discuss or practice growth mindset concepts while reviewing the course content. As for co-workers, I talk to them informally, and I invite them to attend when there is a Growth Mindset workshop.
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I am lucky to be fairly ignorant. I frequently find myself saying in class something like: “I have no idea, let’s look it up” or I never thought about that, let’s think it through and see where we end up.” This I hope models the idea that there is no shame in not knowing something or in not having a ready opinion about a topic. It also lets me show students how to go about figuring things out, while taking lots of wrong turns.
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I have worked very hard to have a growth mindset. We educators may have confidence academically, but the way I really wanted to grow was emotionally. During a depression in my thirties, I read that people who meditate have the same brain chemistry as people who had stable or happy childhoods. I started the next day, and within a couple of months, I was a different person. I became about twenty percent happier, which is a big deal. After this, I began to work on myself year after year. Recently, I began doing a meditation that helps me release anger. I have seen for myself that people are often capable of much more growth than they might have believed. I constantly tell my classes stories about students who first struggled, then took over. One of my favorites is the student who had about a B- average. He decided to stop playing video games and to read instead. His final essay was an A-, in just a couple of months his use of language became more agile, and his vocabulary grew. He never would have done that without a growth mindset.
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When I was teaching for the very first time many years ago, I recall that I was afraid of making a mistake in front of my students. But it was tiresome to be nervous and so vigilant all the time, and I learned that one could use mistakes productively. Something as seemingly trivial as a typo on a Powerpoint slide can be recognized and corrected in real time, a micro-lesson in proofing and editing one’s own work. If a student asks a question to which I do not know the answer, I try to make it something that we all research and come back to later (if it’s relevant). Sometimes I wondered how students really saw me in these moments. Then last year I was working with a group of students in an art gallery and we had a task to do that I had never done before. I knew what the outcome was supposed to be, we had the tools, but we were on totally equal footing in being new to the task, and I made it clear we were going to learn together. A couple of students told me that this really helped them approach the task with confidence and not feel bad that they didn’t come in knowing everything already. Nice moment.
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I definitely share the same sentiment, Cynthia. When I was teaching Microbiology lab for the first time four years ago, I was flooded with fear of making a mistake and seeming incompetent to my students. I could feel anxiety amplify every time I am about to teach. I learned all of these fears and insecurities stem from ego. While reading “Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday (highly recommend this book!), I learned that ego only seeks control and validation while silencing the path to the best version of ourselves. At the start of each semester, I reset my mindset by remembering the following:
- I am here to guide not control or command.
- Each time I teach I go through a process of metamorphosis, this allows me to enjoy the process of teaching no matter the setbacks.
- At the end of each teaching sessions, I self-reflect and ask myself what I could have done better to enhance the teaching experience. This is based on students’ performance and feedback.
- I view the interaction with my students as a fluid enriching conversation where water flows from me to them and vice versa.
- I reframe the words failures and successes. I call failures “growth opportunities”, and successes as “honing opportunities”. This allows me to relinquish control over outcomes while immersing myself in the process.
To help support faculty in cultivating a growth mindset, I second what Tim Leonard and Casandra have mentioned about having a designated time in departmental meetings. In addition, I believe course coordinators should meet with teaching faculty to discuss growth mindset, and how to modify class structure and assignments accordingly. To help ease the process a survey could be conducted to address faculties main concerns, this will prioritize which area needs remodeling to foster a growth mindset.
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Cynthia,
Not only have I made an ass of myself while teaching (e.g. writing gibberish on the board while trying to talk and write at the same time), but I now cultivate it. I teach students to do peer review by showing them an early draft of something I wrote with one of my long-time reader’s comments. I walk them through the very thorough evisceration and explain why he was right, what I changed to make the piece better, and why they should cultivate those who will give them real feedback. Last Fall, when I did this in class, a student said “I need a Brian” [the reader’s name is Brian]–I was extraneous, which is the perfect model of giving students control of their learning.
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Sharing your failures and lessons learned afterwards with students are ways to model growth mindset. It is also one of the ways to connect with students.
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I try to model growth mindset by embracing challenges, engaging in continuous learning, and by celebrating effort over results. I also try to encourage persistence by normalizing mistakes and welcoming feedback. When we work with students or faculty, our goal is to provide tasks that are challenging but achievable. We emphasize the learning process over immediate success and use growth-oriented language to inspire resilience. To support and inspire colleagues, we offer professional development opportunities on growth mindset and foster a culture of collaboration and reflection. Recognizing and celebrating effort, sharing strategies, and encouraging open discussions helps us create a department-wide focus on continuous improvement and growth.
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I can model a growth mindset by showing vulnerability and difficulties in the learning process, and how to embrace challenges, and to reflect on setbacks as opportunities for growth. Sometimes, I share with my students my own messy writing drafts to let them know the difficulties in my writing process and how I deal with the challenges.
I can support and inspire others by having conversations about the growth mindset, brainstorming together with colleagues how to deal with the challenges we have in class, practicing reflection on our teaching approaches, etc.
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All of my classes are inquiry-based. That is, every class opens with questions students may have or things they would like to discuss as a group. I emphasize that I do not have all of the answers, but that we, as a class, will explore possible responses to questions and where the questions and the responses we generate as a class will lead us.
There is a certain amount of scaffolding, developing skills and applying them to a task or context, circling back and repeating the application of skills that we have developed together but now compounded with other skills.
In certain classes, I have students read a text, then read several others that the first alludes to or draws on, then return to read the first text again. This makes much more sense of the first text, provides a much fuller view, but also demonstrates what reading is–an ongoing process of familiarity and reference, with everything we read expanding our ability to read other things.
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