more of a reward by completing a worksheet than what they will learn by completing it.  A person with a closed mindset may work very quickly because they want to be the first to finish an assignment.  They may avoid learning new things and instead choose repeating tasks or challenges to ensure their success.  They are often perceived to be very bright because they focus their energy on tasks and subjects they know they can do well in.  Their internal reward system is fed by getting the right answer.

A person with a growth mindset will focus more on the process than the end result.  In our worksheet example, a growth mindset person will experience more of a reward when they learn something or will become excited if the worksheet covers new material, rather than simply completing the worksheet.  They are more interested in pushing themselves and trying new things with increasing difficulty.  They may be more understanding of themselves if they make a mistake.  They may be perceived as curious.  Their internal reward system is fed from discovering new things. 

To illustrate what this might look like in a classroom, a closed mindset student is more likely to choose a puzzle under their skill level while a growth mindset student will choose a harder puzzle.  This is because the closed mindset student wants to ensure success while the open mindset student wants to challenge themself.

Help your student develop a growth mindset.

There are a few ways that we can encourage our students to develop more of a growth mindset and an internal reward system.   

Use language that praises their process rather than completion. Adopting phrases that praise the process helps the student realize that growth and learning are more important than completing tasks.  Completing the task and getting a good grade is a by-product of their good work. Phrases you can use are:

• “Good job taking your time to check each part of this math problem.”

• “I love that you didn’t give up until you found the answer.”

• “I am proud of you for taking on challenging topics.”

• “I see how hard your work on your homework.”

Remind them that things are often hard the first time we try something new.  We sometimes forget that learning new things is hard.  Remind your student that they can do hard things and how good it feels when those new things become easy. I would remind my daughter how difficult reading was for her when she was first learning, and how she can now read with ease.  Pointing out their past success and struggles can lift their confidence.

Remind them that mistakes are a part of learning.  It is easy to get discouraged when we make mistakes.  Help your student remember that mistakes are part of the learning process.  Mistakes are not something to fear, they are to be learned from.

You can learn more about growth mindset in Dr. Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”.