Leadership and a Growth Mindset

When I first started the DLL program at Lamar University in this past session Fall 2019, I hadn't heard of CSLE (creating a significant learning environment) in which students have choice, ownership, and voice via authentic learning opportunities (COVA).  Embracing this type of learning when one has been part of the old "sit and get" industrial educational model can be a challenge. Having a growth mindset makes all the difference when approaching this new learning style just like it does in other areas of my life.

Practicing a growth mindset through the DLL program will be beneficial to me in the following ways:

• It helps me change and to move forward in my thinking.
• It stretches my abilities and promotes new growth.
• I'll enjoy achievements I may not have ever reached had I not learned about CSLE+COVA.
• It provides opportunities for me to consider and reflect, ask questions, listen to others, experiment, explore, strive for improvement, and become open to change and growth.
• It puts me on a road to betterment, realizing that mistakes are part of learning and growing.
• It actually physically grows my brain through neurons making new connections.

• It helps me grow as a student, educator, and leader.

• It helps me to continue to develop my grit and perseverance

By practicing a growth mindset through this program, it will help me to excel and be successful in both the coursework and most importantly the pedagogical changes that I'll use in my teaching.  Practicing a growth mindset makes me open to taking risks in discussions, assignments, and clarifications in my coursework. It provides opportunities to learn from self-reflection in which I determine where I currently am in my learning and what steps I need to take next to strategically improve.  Having a growth mindset makes me ready for collaborative work, learning from and along with others. It makes me open to criticism and to view it as an opportunity for growth instead of a flaw within myself or my work.

While I embrace and fully understand the implications and benefits of having a growth mindset, there are times when that old fixed mindset might creep in as I’m working on my DLL coursework.  I have a plan of attack for this old way of thinking when it shows up. First, I’ll ask myself if that’s the fixed mindset I hear. When I hear that doubting, judgmental, and fearful voice in my head I'll remind myself that this is a fixed mindset trying to hold me back.  Then, I’ll remind myself that I have a choice. I’ll confront the fear and worry by understanding that I don’t have to stay in that space and that I can make a change easily if I choose to. Next, I’ll talk back to the old fixed mindset with a growth mindset voice. I’ll address my fixed mindset thoughts by countering each of them, reminding myself that I want to grow, learn and stretch and that if I don’t take the risk to do so, I will remain in a static position.  Lastly, I’ll take a growth mindset action. I’ll choose to take a deep breath, give myself an emotional fist bump, and throw myself into learning while giving permission to make mistakes, ask for help, and grow my abilities.

Practicing a growth mindset will help me to be the leader I envision myself to be both for my students and my colleagues.  I can’t expect my students and colleagues to use a growth mindset if I myself don’t model one for them. It’s not enough though to model the growth mindset.  This mindset which opens opportunities for learning and change must be taught. Once one sees the data, research, and hears about others’ positive experiences, one can make the choice to practice a growth mindset, too.  Understanding the differences between the mindsets, being able to identify them within themselves, and having a plan to use when the fixed mindset pops up and takes over, is key to practicing a growth mindset.

 Leading students and colleagues through reflection and self-evaluative exercises concerning the growth mindset will be helpful.  It’s not easy to change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and taking time out to check where we are functioning in terms of our mindset if very beneficial.  As well, and equally important, are the conversations that come out of this self-evaluative process. Sharing our thoughts and experiences, failures and forward steps, with our mindsets helps our communities to learn from each other and support one another.

As a leader in education practicing a growth mindset, one of the words that I’ll use frequently for my students and colleagues is “yet”.  It’s one very short word; however, it’s implications are powerful and endless. Emphasizing that one may not be able to do something, know something, or be good at something YET will be pivotal in helping one take the first steps down a path of personal growth.  It is by sharing what I have learned about the growth mindset and how I’ve practiced it through the DLL program that will allow me to help others grow their abilities and knowledge being able to practice a lifetime of using a growth mindset.

Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.


Thibodeaux, T. (2017). A Learner's Mindset..... Retrieved January 29, 2019, from http://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=515

Responsibility Must Shift to the Learners

Should the focus of compulsory education in America continue to be on what our students are learning?  I believe the answer to this question is no.  What our learners need most in the classrooms across America today, is to be taught how to learn. It doesn’t make sense to structure our classrooms and the way learning occurs as we have for what seems eons; it’s old and dull, for all involved, and doesn’t prepare our students for the future. Technology has changed our kids. They come to school with knowledge and experience that older generations of Americans mostly know nothing about. There are some recent reports with statistical data stating that more than half, even upwards to 85% of the jobs in 2030 haven’t been created yet (Tencer, 2017). While some may think it’s not going to be that high of a number, we can’t ignore the fact that our learners need to have the necessary skills to learn on their own. Our students will have to acquire new skills and know how to learn in order to keep up with the changing pace of the job market due to technological advancements.

Because of this shift in focus for learners, I believe our classrooms have to change. Of course, we should still have standards for subject matter that we want our students to know, but the actual steps of learning should be thoughtfully planned, maneuvered, and adjusted by students, not teachers. The focus in classrooms should be on the acquisition of skills that will give our students the ability to walk through the learning process successfully on their own by the time they graduate from high school.

I think that directing one’s own learning requires a growth mindset where learners understand and embrace the learning process. Students should practice reflecting on where they currently are in their learning and where strategic practice for improvement can be made. I believe there needs to be a change from the focus on the end result, to instead the path that is taken. Learners need to be comfortable with failure and realize that these failures play a critical role in learning, self-reflecting, and improving (Dweck, 2018).

I believe a growth mindset will instill grit and persistence in our learners which they will most certainly need in their future as they are tasked with learning skills and information that come with new job opportunities. It is because of this that I believe metacognition also needs to be taught in our schools. Students focus so much on the final grade that’s earned that they don’t spend the necessary time actually thinking about the learning that is taking place. Students need time to pause and reflect on the learning that’s occurred, the ways in which the skills/information were learned, and if any portion of it could have been achieved differently, in a better way for their individual learning preferences. I believe that our students need to leave our educational system with a strong understanding of how they learn best, how to evaluate their learning, find gaps, and evaluate where they can find the best resources to help them acquire the skills and information they need (Jones-Carey, 2018).

So, how are we doing with this type of learning now? I think that in too many of our classrooms, technology integration is occurring and the consensus is that progress toward new learning is being

made. It’s a pedagogical shift though that needs to occur, one that I’ve just described where the majority of the learning process is driven by the individual student and not the teacher. Yes, technology is used as a tool and students learn technological skills along the way, but the technology is secondary to the learning process that’s taking place.

Locally, there are a few issues that need to be addressed sooner than later in my school district. I’ve just

spent a decade teaching English at a comprehensive site and over the years our class sizes grew from 32 students to 40+. So, in five periods I was teaching a total of 200 students daily. This is problematic for several reasons. First and foremost, how does one coach all of these students if they are able to learn in the way in which I’ve described? The ratio of teacher to student doesn’t allow for the necessary time to coach students individually; even in small groups, it can be hard to mentor students with these class sizes. Class sizes should be smaller so that our students have the opportunity to collaborate with their teachers who are coaching them through the learning process.

In recent years, there’s been a focus on Career Technical Education, not only in my district but on a national level. CTE offers students more meaningful coursework than traditional classes. Traditional classes such as English and Social Science have the ability as well though to offer students meaningful

coursework through COVA, “giving learners choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning opportunities” (Thibodeaux, 2017). It is this type of switch in pedagogy that will breath new life into classrooms that house detached learners who are frustrated, sitting through yet another boring and meaningless class.

(Thibodeaux, 2017)

Another area that needs to be improved which centers around technology and greatly impacts our learners is global communication. Technology allows for the walls to disappear in our classrooms and schools. Students are communicating already globally through social media; so, why not have them

take advantage of this and harness these skills to collaborate and learn from others in different parts of our world for academic purposes? I believe that with a little training and experience, this could be easily incorporated into learning plans.

I believe that I have both an opportunity and responsibility to share my knowledge of digital learning and COVA with my peers and students as I continue to grow as an educator. It is my hope that I can bring the ideas and resources that I learn about in Lamar’s DLL program to my colleagues and students in my district. 

References

Duckworth, A. (2013, May 09). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8&feature=youtu.be

Dweck, C. (2018, June 25). Carol Dweck Revisits the Growth Mindset. Retrieved December 8, 2018, from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html

Jones-Carey, M. (2018, October 14). Metacognition and Mindfulness Meet the Power of Not Yet! Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://www.gettingsmart.com/2018/10/metacognition-and-mindfulness-meet-the-power-of-not-yet/

Tencer, D. (2017, July 14). 85% Of Jobs That Will Exist In 2030 Haven't Been Invented Yet: Report. Retrieved December 8, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/07/14/85-of-jobs-that-will-exist-in-2030-haven-t-been-invented-yet-d_a_23030098/

Thibodeaux, T. (2017). A Learner's Mindset..... Retrieved December 8, 2018, from http://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=515

Thibodeaux, T. (2017). A Learner's Mindset..... Retrieved December 8, 2018, from http://tilisathibodeaux.com/wordpress/?page_id=538