When encouraging your students to have a growth mindset, using the term "yet" instead of failure can help not make them feel defeated. By using "yet," students recognize that there is still room for growth and learning. They understand that with perseverance, they can still succeed in the given task or concept. Embracing a growth mindset transforms learning. Adopting a growth mindset fosters a positive and receptive attitude towards feedback from others, recognizing it as valuable information that can help improve learning and personal growth. When it comes to grades, a growth mindset becomes internalized, motivating learners to continuously better themselves and deepen their understanding.
In contrast, individuals with a fixed mindset tend to shy away from challenges, finding contentment where they are and disliking negative feedback. For students, this may look like a student who wants to do the bare minimum to pass or it may look like a student who is scared to fail. Those with a growth mindset seek opportunities for learning, they embracing challenges and are open to criticism. I can definitely see this in my Graphics Design classes. There are students who go above and beyond. They create work and then take the time to improve on it to make it their absolute best. And then of course you have those that want to know "Is this good enough to pass?" Our goal as educators should be to get those students to adopt the growth mindset to want to do better than the bare minimum. I challenge you to find at least one of these students and help instill in them a growth mindset!
References
Carol S. Dweck, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success."
Carol Dweck, TED Talks, "The power of believing that you can improve."
Plant in hand, (n.d.), https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9a3fbd_f9eabefd5f554e79b26f21c49e64a999~mv2.jpeg
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