Growth Mindset
«Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.» Carol Dweck
At Heritage School, we cultivate Growth Mindset for our students and teachers through our holistic learning approach that is based on the following statements:
- Working hard is more important than being smart.
- Our ability can change and grow.
- Failure is just practice and is good for you.
- Everyone has a ‘genie’ in their lamp.
Why aim for a growth mindset?
When it comes to learning, the mindset is really important. More and more research is showing that our brain changes constantly with learning and experience and that this takes place throughout our lives. Does this have implications for students' motivation and learning? It certainly does.
What students believe about their brains — whether they see their intelligence as something that is fixed or something that can grow and change — has a strong effect on their motivation, learning, and academic achievement.
At Heritage School, we implement the Growth Mindset approach which is based on the idea that a student’s success is not fixed or dependent on their natural talent, but rather on their ability to persevere through their struggles.
Instead of prioritizing children’s talent, we primarily value children’s development. We encourage our students to focus on the process of getting better: improving their abilities and building their skills. We teach our students that their intelligence can be cultivated through effort and education, that everyone has the capacity to learn and grow. This conditions them to believe that success is attainable for everyone regardless of current circumstances.
Growth Mindset approach creates a solid foundation for great learning. It helps children feel good in the short and long terms by helping them thrive on challenges and become more resilient in the face of setbacks on their way to success.