CUNY Academic Commons

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I teach math and encounter so much mental resistance to engaging with math content – especially more abstract concepts! Many students tell me, “I’m just bad at math”. I think for students like these, overcoming their fears and getting motivated to learn is really half the battle. I often tell students on the…[Read more]

Wow, this hit me hard. I have definitely been avoiding the discussion surrounding AI, which is not going to benefit me in the long-term, or my future students! It’s challenging to realize that my approach towards AI has not reflected a growth mindset. Maybe you could share some resources for learning more?

Hi Elizabeth,

I like the idea of a warmup/icebreaker for each session throughout the semester! I would like to incorporate more of those fun activities as a way for students to get comfortable and connect with each other in my classes this semester.

Has anyone ever used the Stamford videos by Dr. Stephen Chew as a resource for their students? Someone recently mentioned them to me, and I am considering how I could incorporate them into a class discussion or assignment on growth mindset.

I like your emphasis on having a “beginner’s” mindset. This might be especially hard for us to do when we are in a role where our students tend to view us as the experts. Second, I’ll echo the encouragement to leave space for some unstructured time to read, reflect, meditate, and think about what could be better in our work. For me, this has…[Read more]

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?

Sounds like a great way for your students to reflect on the course and what is working for them, and also for you to practice growth mindset as you implement changes based on their comments! I take the pulse of my class in a similar way with a mid-semester survey and often ask variations of these three questions: 1) What should I (the instructor)…[Read more]

These ideas sound great for both allowing you to connect with your students and helping them build relationships with one another! Do you have a template or a word list that you would be willing to share for the “two word check-in”?

This is great! One technique that I have found to increase everyone’s participation with a discussion prompt like this is a “Think-Pair-Share”. Participants will silently think about their response to the topic, then pair up and share their thoughts with a partner, then a few people can share with the whole group what they discussed in their…[Read more]

This principle sounds familiar, but would you be willing to share more? And do you encourage your students to implement this principle when studying or completing assignments?

What a great story to share with your students! Keeping the focus on the long-term goal and the larger reasons for pursuing it can be a great motivator to keep us going in the day-to-day difficulties that arise.

Hi Victoria, I’ll insert some growth mindset here and say that I’m sure your recording improved with practice! It is interesting through this exercise to listen to our own voices as a student might experience them.

And I have to ask: what do you define as the platinum rule of communication?

Yes, I too found it difficult to decide what to say! The first time I created a welcome video for my students (similar to this audio note assignment), I wrote out a script and reviewed it to make sure it contained all the GPS elements – growth mindset, purpose and relevance, and a sense of belonging. This might be a good framework to determine is…[Read more]

Hi Markela, do you think that some students are intrinsically more motivated than others, or is it that some students recognize greater purpose and value in their education? If so, how can we as instructors build purpose and relevance in our courses as a catalyst for student engagement and motivation?

Hi Victoria, thanks for sharing! Are there any specific strategies you use to help students see the connection between their coursework and real life?

A concept that could also be emphasized along with goal-setting is the habits/practices that students develop as part of their routine throughout the semester. In academics and many other areas of life, we may have lofty goals and high expectations, but it is the daily and weekly habits and routines that we practice that often make the difference…[Read more]

This is a really interesting activity, Casandra! For the last part, do you determine the top three expectations in each category together as a class, or does each student individually choose their own top three? What kinds of responses from students have you seen when carrying out this activity? Maybe one way this could be combined with…[Read more]

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…[Read more]

Thanks for sharing, Deborah! I looked through the site briefly and will definitely read more!

I find that GPS mindset fits nicely with an emphasis on active learning in the classroom. If students are not spending all their time in class taking notes on lectures, but engaged in practice and discussion, they have an opportunity to practice growth mindset right in the classroom with the support of their instructor. If we learn best by doing…[Read more]