CUNY Academic Commons

An addendum: I participated in an international conference in Tarragona, Spain in the summer of last year. Part of my 17-minute presentation in Spanish was to introduce the concept of growth mindset (mentalidad de crecimiento), a new topic to some attendees.

I’m participating in a Writing Intensive training program at Queensborough Community College this semester. I’m amazed at the benefits for students of adding writing assignments and how to make them look not as extra or too much work. Since I can add short reflection papers or discussion boards about their learning process, I can insert myself by…[Read more]

The first discussion board we responded to was about the quote, “Failure is a greater teacher than success.” I commented that it was the idea of falling and getting up as many times as necessary. It was the way to succeed at something. And that quote relates to Angela’s concept of grit: passion and perseverance to achieve our goals. It is an ess…[Read more]

The first word I tell my students in a welcome video, email, or in-person meeting is ‘Welcome’ in Spanish and English. I want them to feel welcome in my class.  In addition to my name, I tell them I am Colombian, from Barranquilla, and have worked for a long time at QCC. That is the easy part. I find it challenging to choose what I want to say…[Read more]

Hi Lara,

Writing about how they overcome a challenge is a good idea. You get to know students better, and they reflect on it.

Hi, Katherine.

Working with students once we convince them to visit us during our office or during student hours allows us to discover some difficulties or wrong ideas they have about us or the subject matter. I have also seen good results with most students who speak with me outside the classroom.

I have used many of the strategies mentioned in this module, and I think they are very relevant to teaching. We should not assume that students already know the college’s resources, for example. I shared that information on the first day of classes and posted it on one of the modules in Brightspace. Fortunately, we have a food pantry; my students…[Read more]

At all stages of my college career, I permanently joined a group. I needed to belong to a small group with whom I could share ideas and study. I thought we all benefited from it, and we all did. After joining a small group of classmates, I would try to connect with other students. A new classmate I met would connect me with others. It was a way to…[Read more]

I teach Spanish and instill in them the idea that it will be helpful to them in one way or another. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it does for the vast majority. I teach them words that have to do with current events. I ask them to go to one of the museums in town. We discuss healthy eating in class, and I regularly mention something I learned…[Read more]

We begin by introducing ourselves in Spanish on the first day of class. Each student shares their name and country of origin. I start by providing my information and showing them a map highlighting my country and city. As they mention their countries, I mentally note each one, which will help me incorporate cultural examples throughout the…[Read more]

Think of a time when you had to do something you did not want to and were successful. How did you navigate that challenge? By what means did you transition from “I don’t want to do this.” to “I want to do this.”? Where did you find the motivation? How did you stay engaged?
I got mad at philosophy in high school because the teacher scolded m…[Read more]

“No habrá desarrollo sin educación, ni progreso sin cultura.” (There will be no development without education, no progress without culture.) Alberto Assa

I tell my students they are privileged because they study at the university. There are more opportunities for higher education here than in my country. The benefits are enormous in every way, a…[Read more]

I allow students to redo their assignments because it helps them learn and improve their grades. I check who has not done it and email or speak with the students.
Students appreciate this opportunity and do better in general.

I agree, Elizabeth, with your comment on Dr. Kolack’s video.
Setting the tone, the first impression makes a difference.

In Blackboard, I have a module with optional links for students to view, and one of them is on growth mindset. In the welcome message, I tell them to take a look at it before the semester starts, but I also mention it to them on the first day of class and show them the three-minute video Developing and Embracing a Growth Mindset for them to…[Read more]

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…[Read more]

Hello Jean-Yves,

I love your post. It is a circle. You encourage others to be their best, and they return the encouragement to you.

I believe in the growth mindset. I remember a teacher in high school telling us that we could go far in our studies if we put our minds to it. His way of helping us was to give us opportunities to succeed in his subject. He was demanding, but he kept telling us we could do it if we tried hard. From then on that has been my leitmotif: to keep going…[Read more]

Education is a constant for any instructor. We always look for ways to improve our teaching method, so we attend workshops and conferences. Our students are exposed to other challenges nowadays, and some think they are not good at the subject we teach. So, talking to them or explaining the growth mindset concept and how they can use it will help…[Read more]

Hi Rebecca,

I like the idea of sharing with students that we also fail. The important thing is to overcome it and do our best next time again and again.