THE INDEPENDENT LEARNER
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Strategies for Developing Positive Mindsets That Create Motivation Teachers can help students develop a growth mindset and realize the joy of learning by teaching them about neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to grow and change. Students can learn about the different parts of the brain and their function to understand more about the brain’s capacity to learn (Robinson, 2017). When people have new experiences, their brain creates new connections which are strengthened through repeated use (Center on the Developing Child, 2020). The exciting thing about this is that people can rewire their own brain and become smarter at any time through acquiring new information and using new strategies to study and practice.
When teachers help students to develop a growth mindset through instruction and modeling, their motivation, grades, and achievement increase (Phi Delta Kappa International, 2012). It gives students a reason to put forth effort in school. The following strategies help students practice the growth mindset mentality and develop a positive response to their own mistakes.
Exercising Your Brain to Help It Grow (Grades K–12) Exercising students’ brains will help them understand that the level of effort they put in affects their ability. This activity is a way to teach students about the parts of the brain and how the brain forms new connections when students learn new things. Do this activity at the beginning of the year.
INSTRUCTIONS Introduce this activity by saying something like, “We used to think that you were born with a certain amount of intelligence, and that’s all you got. Now, scientists know that when you work hard and tackle new challenges in school or life, you can help your brain grow and make more connections. Like a muscle, our brain gets stronger when we exercise it and do hard things.” Implement the following actions to conduct this activity.
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Isn’t it motivating to think that it is within your control to change your capacity to learn? Finding the place where students are making mistakes is the key to effective instruction. If students are truly challenged, they shouldn’t get it right away. Experiencing initial confusion and having to exert effort to make meaning are an indication the brain is forming new connections and new learning is taking place. When teachers teach students to think of learning challenges or the opportunity to learn from mistakes as helping to grow their brain, they respond more positively and persevere despite initial discomfort or difficulty. Instead of thinking of mistakes, confusion, or challenges as a sign they are just not smart enough, students learn to view the unsettled feeling of not understanding as an indication of an opportunity for growth. Experiencing confusion is often what causes students to stop, reflect, and use or modify their use of strategies. Developing a tolerance for confusion and an ability to sustain motivation to work through problems to create meaning is essential to accessing higher-order thinking (Miller, 2013). These are the complex thinking skills beyond basic fact recall and memorization that allow for critical and creative thinking.
