GROWTH

VS.
FIXED MINDSET

Kat, DJ, Jess, and

Morgan
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02 03
The Philosopher Deficit Perspectives Asset-Based Pedagogies
Carol Susan Dweck! Changing the way we Focusing on strengths
think about students
PHILOSOPHER:
Carol Dweck
Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
Carol Susan Dweck
Dr. Dweck is an incredibly renowned Doctor of Psychology who
has taught at a number of different colleges. Her achievements
include, but are certainly not limited to:
● Elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (2012)

● Elected member of the American Academy of the Arts and

Sciences (2002)

● Awarded the Yidan Prize for Education Research (2017)

● Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, from the

American Psychological Association (2010)

● Klingenstein Award for Leadership in Education, from

Klingenstein Center at Columbia University (2010)
 THE LIFE OF CAROL DWECK
IQ Tests
Mrs. Wilson’s 6th grade class
Oct. 17, 1964 had IQ tests that decided the
student’s intelligence
Carol Susan Dweck completely. Dweck
was born in New York
School disagreed, but sought State
City, New York academic validation
Testing

Birth Brother Sixth Chemistry

Dweck and her younger brother
attended P.S. 153 in Brooklyn
where both were known as
excellent. Dweck’s brother
lashed out a lot whereas she
would internalize everything.
Grade The school told Dweck they
were counting on her scores.
Despite stress, Dweck
overcame and studied hard.
She got a 99/100 possible
points
 The Life of Carol Dweck
1976 Professor
Dweck graduated high
school and went on to Accepted the position of
study psychology at Professor at University of
Illinois and was promoted to
Barnard College and The associate professor in 1977
Columbia University. She
later moved to Yale. 1960’s 1981
Learned
Congrats 1972 -
Helplessness
Grad! 1977 Harvard
Martin E. P. Seligman proposed
the idea of “learned helplessness” Dweck accepted a position
and Dweck wondered if it was a to teach as a professor of
contributing factor to poor psychology at Harvard but
academic success. It was her quickly returned to
Doctoral Thesis when she University of Illinois 4 years
graduated from Yale in 1972.
later
 The Life of Carol Dweck
On the Move
Philosophy:
Dweck moved jobs once
again to teach at University Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
of Columbia and worked 2004
there as the William B Dweck believed that we as
Ransford Professor of humans are constantly trying to
Psychology until 2004. prove that we are intelligent. It
is natural for us to want to show
One more Time! off our strengths. Therefore,
1989 For the final time, Dweck moved eagerness in learning will
colleges to try and find a almost always equate to the
challenge. From 2004 to present
chance of success. If children
day (76 years old) she teaches at
Stanford University as the Lewis believe they will fail, that
and Virginia Eaton Professor of eagerness to learn will melt
Psychology away.
 Growth vs. Fixed

GROWTH MINDSET FIXED MINDSET

● Always excited and happy to ● Strong desire to prove
participate in the lesson themselves

● Embrace challenging situations ● Participation and eagerness

where failure may be likely when success chances are high

● Improving rather than proving ● Wary of situations that will

themselves make them feel inadequate

● Failure does not equal stupidity. ● Failure means they do not have
It’s a change in strategy. the ability to prove their
intelligence
 Importance of Feedback
Dweck also found that the difference between Growth
and Fixed Mindsets had a lot to do with the feedback
they received.
● Study: How does feedback affect the mindsets?

Growth Fixed
Showed more interest Tuned out negative
in feedback feedback

Wanted to know the Uninterested in

correct answer correct answers
they’d missed
Knew this feedback as
valuable information Seemingly closed
that would help them their minds to new
broaden their information
knowledge
Fixed
Mindset:
I will always excel in this area

I will always fall short in this area

Relationship
Effects
Dweck also found that these mindsets can have
effects on your personal relationships

Fixed:
● Should be incredibly easy

● Think there should be no work required

● “Love at first sight” / “happily ever after”

● Conflict is blamed on the fixed characteristics

of themselves they aren’t confident in

● Quick to give up on relationships

Relationship
Effects
Dweck also found that these mindsets can have
effects on your personal relationships

Growth:
● Understand the malleability of relationships

● Know they require hard work

● Conflict, to them, is inevitable and a part of

the relationship

● When acknowledging imperfections, they are

hopeful rather than blaming them. They want
this to be something they can work out

● Overcome challenges
 “stupid” “slow”

“gifted” “talented”

Motivation:
Mindsets are learned, not inflexible and, therefore, can be unlearned.

● Children are given labels from a young age

● Dweck believes that these labels are incredibly harmful and

promote that fixed mindset

● Even the positive labels

● Can lead to students thinking certain traits are permanent.

Stupidity for the negative, burn-out later in life for the positive
traits.

● This will create that fixed mindset

Avoiding Using Labels
Praise for ability rather than effort

Feedback on process of learning rather than product

Incorporate a gradual increase in challenge

Provide support when the child needs / requires it

Help children find joy in overcoming challenges

Stress immediate success and correct responses

Become a model for them

Create an environment that is safe and supportive

Associate everyday life with Growth Mindset

 Apply it to Everyday Life
This idea has been one of the most influential discoveries in classrooms and
education in general

Sports Behavior Change

Coaches can help Growth mindset can
practice growth mindset enhance effectiveness of
in individuals and group behavioral change
settings. programs

Businesses Relationships
Managers have adopted Both romantic and
growth mindsets with parental relationships
positive feedback to have reported
value hard work and improvement in conflict
avoid hostility. and other hostile parts.
 “The hallmark of successful
people is that they’re always
stretching themselves to learn
new things.”

““You don’t know what you’re

abilities are until you make a full
commitment to developing
them”

— Carol Susan Dweck

 Deficit
Perspectives

WHY is a student misbehaving?

 Deficit Thinking
What is Deficit Thinking?
● Deficit Thinking can be defined as a mindset that blames the victim
In School?
● Blaming the student, their parents, or their way of life for their behavior
○ The reason they’re acting out is because they’re a “bad kid” or there’s
been “bad parenting”
Why is this harmful?
● Leads to the belief that nothing can be done to help the student
● Lower expectations for the student
○ High expectations for the student causes the student to rise to meet
those expectations and vice versa
How Does This Relate to Growth vs. Fixed Mindset?

If a teacher believes that nothing can be done for a student, then the
expectations for the student are lowered. Since nothing can be done for that
student, why bother pushing them as hard as other students? This creates a
lack of motivation in the student and a loss of a desire to learn.
● This creates a fixed mindset
○ The loss of motivation leads to anxiety about situations in which they
might appear inadequate
○ Only participate when the chances of success are high
○ Not welcome to feedback
 How to Fix This?
A shift of thinking on the teacher’s side of things will cause a change in the
mindset of the student

● Think about what the teacher is not providing instead of the student’s faults
○ If a student isn’t behaving, think about how to teach social or emotional skills
at school
○ If the student believes the content to be too hard, think about changing the
way the content is being taught
○ If the student’s home life is chaotic, create an environment within the
classroom with a clear structure.
Asset-Based
Pedagogies
 Emphasis is placed on what a
child can do rather than what
they may struggle with

This is the foundation to a growth mindset

 3 Steps of Asset-Based Teaching

1 2 3

Find out what Create different Provide feedback

your students can ways in which that applies the
do students reach students strengths
the same and how they can
achievement apply it to their area
of need
Activity!

Trashketball
 Trashketball
You’re in a team with your table!

Team 1 gets asked a question

If they get it right- they attempt a shot!
If they get it wrong, the question is passed to the next group.

Shots are worth various points.

The group with the most points at the end wins!

 Work Cited!
Carol Susan Dweck
- https://practicalpie.com/carol-dweck/

- https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/carol-s-dweck-quotes#:~:text='%20In%20a%20growth%20mindset%2C%20you
,for%20what%20you've%20learned.&text=The%20hallmark%20of%20successful%20people,themselves%20to%20learn%
20new%20things.&text=You%20don't%20know%20what,full%20commitment%20to%20developing%20them.

- https://www.lessonsforsel.com/post/deficit-thinking-in-schools-is-a-social-justice-issue-here-s-why-we-need-to-d
o-better