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1.3 Learning Mindsets
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Posted by CUNY Mindset Initiative on March 11, 2024 at 11:02 am💬 Reflection/Discussion:
- How does cultivating a growth mindset benefit educators in their professional development and teaching practices? Why is it important to you as an educator to learn about and growth mindsets and apply that knowledge in your teaching?
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This might be out of left field, but something that I’m thinking a lot about is learning new technology (e.g. new AI tools). When educators show willingness to try new technology and approach it with a curious attitude, this might also help students learn about new technology and potentially become more comfortable in talking about it.
But whatever it is, I think it is helpful for the educator to admit not knowing everything in that everyone is going through a learning process – taking us back to the Freire excerpt that Deborah shared!
It’s important to see ourselves as going through the same process as our students – learning something new and applying new techniques to our development that we can use in our future “careers.”
I tell my students that my courses are still a work in process – I’m learning from them how to do this better and they shape future designs of the course. They are part of the community of students taking this class and have a role in where it goes.I like the idea of adding “yet” to “I’m not good at ____” a useful reminder on a personal level as well. I can’t remember a time when higher education has faced more challenges in terms of figuring out how to use new technology productively as well as helping students to figure out the ethical and efficacious use of technology in the context of their own educations. (And then, of course, there are the challenging economic factors for students/faculty/staff in our personal lives and the shrinking higher higher education budgets that have us all straining to do more with fewer and fewer resources.) It’s pretty easy to feel inadequate.
Everyone here has said some true and useful things about growth mindset. I’d like to add another aspect. Growth mindset is what makes teaching fun! I can’t imagine staying in a classroom where I felt I had nothing left to learn. As Oscar Hammerstein II wrote in “Getting to Know You” from The King and I: “It’s a very ancient saying/But a true and honest thought/That if you become a teacher/By your pupils you’ll be taught.” And I know my experience is not unique because the introductions in the books I’ve read by teachers invariably include effusive thanks to the students who helped the authors develop and refine the ideas being presented.
Good point Denise! We’re growing too! It’s important to let our students know that their work and effort shapes further versions of our courses. We are (we should be) continually reshaping our assignments and evaluations in response to who are students react to different methods, techniques and approaches.
This thread captures the essence of why cultivating a growth mindset is not just beneficial but essential for educators. It’s clear that when educators adopt this mindset, they’re better equipped to innovate in their teaching practices and more effectively support their students’ learning journeys.
The collective wisdom here underscores a fundamental truth: growth mindset isn’t just a tool for personal development but a cornerstone of effective teaching that can transform educational experiences and outcomes. By embracing this mindset, we not only improve as educators but also contribute to a more adaptive, innovative, and inclusive academic community.
I love that Freire has made an appearance here! I agree with Casandra that right now, we are all learning alongside our students as higher education is evolving. New A.I. tools are putting pressures on traditional ways of teaching & learning. I love Casandra’s lead on thinking about how we can be curious about new tools. I think I had been in a decidedly fixed mindset about AI for about 10 months. Then, when I themed my ENG 101 course around AI and began learning with students, my own thoughts and ideas have begun to grow. It was an important moment for me, especially as we were in the midst of our CUNY Mindset work. While I would like to think that I approach things with a growth mindset, I was surprised to identify this fixed mindset that was holding me back.
Are there moments in your own teaching where a growth mindset for you, as the instructor, has been significant in moving an idea / skill / concept  / etc. forward for students?
I want to +1 Jean-Yves’ use of “not yet learned.” Thank you for kicking off this great thread!
Casandra, I think there’s incredible power in the use of “yet” because it implies all that may evolve.
And, Denise, thank you for reminding us, ” the introductions in the books I’ve read by teachers invariably include effusive thanks to the students who helped the authors develop and refine the ideas being presented.”
Have there been moments were you, as an instructor, learned side-by-side with students and had a “not yet” moment?
This is an interesting point – I wonder how often educators who encourage growth mindsets in students still have a fixed mindset as it relates to educational practice. For example, when we think about ungrading, it can be challenging to move away from grading and assessment the way it has always been done. As well, I wonder how often the larger system still keeps some having a fixed mindset.
Thanks so much for writing this! I think this truly sums up the intent of this thread. I want to also underline that I think it takes a classroom community to do all of this. It can be helpful for teachers to share a bit of their process with students as they grow – not only to share the mindset experience but also to suggest that none of this can be done in isolation.
Hi Tim,
I wonder this too. Ungrading is such a wonderful example. Because it challenges our traditional conceptions of grades and the work of faculty, some people approach the concept with a fixed mindset. But, here, thinking about how a growth mindset as a faculty member can affect our students and have positive impacts on the larger system is a great example of a ripple effect.
Hi Tim, I appreciate your focus on community. I was thinking about that in response to your comment above. I think we learn in community and by experimenting together. I know that when a number of us in my department held a reading group on contract grading, it opened the door for much more experimentation with grading and approaches to responding to student work. Community can build the foundation for risk-taking and change.
In the module, I was struck by this paragraph:
Furthermore, many CUNY educators view as part of their mission helping students acquire competencies employers demand so they can improve their career prospects. NACE’s Competencies for a Career-Ready Workforce emphasizes the importance of continual personal and professional learning, self-awareness, and proactive career development. Clearly, a growth mindset is prerequisite to the development of these and other critical competencies.
I find that sometimes there is resistance to workforce readiness, which might be tied to a fixed mindset about what “our job” is as educators. I love the way the clear goals and skills of workforce readiness are embedded here and are so clearly tied to what happens in all of my courses from Composition 101 to literature courses. For me, this offered a “meta” moment thinking about how my own mindset has grown and needs to continue to grow to think about workforce skills alongside disciplinary skills. Has anyone else felt that growth in their own teaching?
I have found that “resistance to workforce readiness” is often accompanied by a lofty regard for the ivory tower that I’ve never held, especially as someone who’s worked outside of it. (That “snobbiness” is also scorned and used by those who have been systematically attempting to dismantle higher ed.) An analogy that comes to mind is the attitude of some actors to being given line readings- that it’s an infringement on their “art.” When I was acting, and especially when doing voiceovers, I REQUESTED line readings. I absolutely LOVED hearing what the director wanted/how they heard it in their head. Actors threatened by line readings are snobby, or simply insecure. In terms of higher ed, isn’t students seeing the Purpose kind of a big deal? Sure, it’s great if the student makes the connection between the content (or even the methods involved in learning it) and their lives (including future careers), but it doesn’t hurt for us to point them in that direction! I’m not talking about teaching to the test, but content-agnostic “learning how to learn” is arguably the best job training there is.
Tim, I completely agree with you. Sharing our processes and experiences with students can foster a supportive learning environment. By demonstrating our own growth and learning, we emphasize that education is a collaborative journey. It’s essential to create a classroom culture where everyone feels involved and empowered to learn from each other.
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