Mindset: Start making the shift...

We are currently reading Carol Dweck's "Mindset," as part of PBJHS's professional studies book club. The premise of the book states that there are two types of "mindsets" from which we choose in our daily lives. The first is a "fixed" mindset, and the second is a "growth" mindset. Dweck draws upon the examples of many famous business leaders, athletes, and situations from her own life, and consequently the reader is able to relate to many of the topics and situations she discusses in the book. Though the book doesn't specifically target educators, there are many connections and viable relations that can be drawn between the book and education.

With a "fixed" mindset, your intelligence is static, with a "growth" mindset, your intelligence can be developed...

A fixed mindset avoids challenges, while a growth mindset embraces challenges...

A fixed mindset gets defensive or gives up easily, while a growth mindset persists in the face of adversity...

A fixed mindset sees effort as fruitless or worse, while a growth mindset sees effort as a path toward mastery...

A fixed mindset ignores useful negative feedback, while a growth mindset learns from criticism...

A fixed mindset feels threatened by the success of others, while a growth mindset finds lessons and inspiration from the success of others...

A fixed mindset will plateau early and achieve less than their full potential, while a growth mindset will reach ever-higher levels of success...


It can be quite difficult to change one's mindset, but after reading this book I am convinced it needs to be a top priority not only in our professional lives, but also in our personal lives. Dweck challenges us to start making the shift and focus on the growth in our lives, rather than the much easier fixed static of our lives. It is obviously much easier said than done, but anything worth doing requires perseverance and dedication...

I have accepted Dweck's challenge, will you...?

**Please refer to this image for credit and additional ideas on the fixed vs. growth mindset. Mindset Map

Constructing a vision...

Throughout the course of the day, the year, or even the career of an educator, we tend to focus on what is happening in the present. We consume ourselves with what is directly in front of us and the immediate ramifications of our actions. We make decisions on what is best for the current situation in which we find ourselves, and we limit ourselves to our most current and recent emotions...

When we focus solely on the present we are ignoring the lessons of the past, and we are severely limiting our successes in the future...

Furthermore, our past experiences are absolutely critical in helping to develop the path of our future. The lessons learned, the mistakes made, and the consequent self-reflections all are necessary pieces in constructing our future. Our past experiences ultimately affect the directions we take in life, and I honestly believe our past is a pretty good predictor of our future. Though the past is not absolute when determining one's future, I think more times than not they are directly related...

The past, the present, and the future all come together to form one's vision:

vi·sion  

n.

1.

a. The faculty of sight; eyesight: poor vision.

b. Something that is or has been seen.

2. Unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight: a leader of vision.

3. The manner in which one sees or conceives of something.

4. A mental image produced by the imagination.

5. The mystical experience of seeing as if with the eyes the supernatural or a supernatural being.

6. A person or thing of extraordinary beauty.

tr.v. vi·sioned, vi·sion·ing, vi·sions

To see in or as if in a vision; envision.

Questions to ponder:

If you are a teacher, what is your vision for yourself and for your students?

If you are an administrator, what is your vision for yourself and for the building in which you work?

As an educator, how are you using the past, the present, and the future to construct your vision?

Advice moving forward:

If you find yourself unable to focus or you are lacking a sense of purpose, take time to evaluate your vision.

If your vision is weak or lacking, the direction of your team or school will definitely suffer; step back and reflect.

Don't be afraid to incite the help of others when establishing a vision; a shared vision can be quite powerful.

Your vision is not written in stone; your vision should be flexible and will need constant revision and modification.


Don't underestimate the power and influence a strong or weak vision can have on you and your organization. It might just be what takes you from good to great...

Make a kid smile...

We've been doing some pretty cool things this year at PBJHS. Many of these cool things have been shared and archived on our school webpage and our Facebook page. One of the coolest things we have done this year is the resurgence of our positive referral program.

The program is quite simple; teachers and staff members recognize students for a whole host of reasons: academic improvement and/or excellence, going above and beyond both in and out of the classroom, and just being an all-around good school citizen.

Some teachers fill out the positive referrals and present them to the students themselves. Others fill out the positive referrals and send them down to the office for me to present to the students. I really enjoy when the positive referrals are sent to me because it gives me the opportunity to pull a prank on the students.

Depending on the individual student, I have been known to call students down to my office and give them one opportunity to be honest and tell me the truth. Typically the students respond with a bewildered look on their face and a response like, "the truth about what? I haven't done anything." After the failure of the forced confession, I then say "fine, we will call your parents and I will tell them everything."

By this time the students are squirming in the chair and replaying their every action at school from the last two days in their head. Once I get the parent on the phone I then pull the positive referral out and proceed to tell them the good news. As I am speaking to the parent I continue to look at the student as their face transforms from scared and confused to happy and relieved...

Now, I am aware of the discussion around rewards and recognition, but I believe that when students unknowingly get recognized for their positive actions it can be quite powerful. I have seen first-hand what can happen as a result of a positive referral. I have witnessed students have a drastic change in both classroom and overall school behavior; I have seen students start taking an interest in school again, and not only turn work in, but turn it in early; I have seen students smile from ear to ear as a result of simply getting recognized for something positive they have done...

My challenge to you and to anyone who reads this is simple: take the time to recognize a student who might need a little positive boost in their life. Do it a couple times and I know you will be hooked. Once you see the smile on that student's face, you will want to share that smile with as many other students as possible...

How many smiles are you going to help create today...?

My thoughts on cell phones in school...

As a teacher, students in my class were encouraged to use their cell phones as a tool to enhance the learning environment. (For the record, my first several years of teaching were very traditional in nature. It wasn't until my last two years that I explored alternative ways to increase student engagement and learning)

- Students kept their cell phones on their desk in plain sight for all to see. Do you hide your cell phone while at work so nobody sees it?

- Students used their cell phones to take notes, look up German words, and find answers to questions. Do you use your cell phone to find answers and get help?

- Students used their cell phones or music devices to listen to music while working. Do you enjoy music while you work?

- Students took pictures and video with their cell phones to use in their blogs and presentations. Do you enjoy taking pictures and/or video to archive for future use?  

- Students felt as if they could be themselves while in class and viewed class more like "real life," rather than a restrictive environment; students didn't have to "power down" when coming to my class. Isn't that the kind of environment you want to be a part of?

You are probably thinking...

Did any students ever abuse the freedom to use their cell phones? Yes, some did, but the number of students who misused their cell phones was no higher than the number of students who misused their paper, pencils and books.

What happened to the students who didn't have cell phones? Nothing, they got to work and share with others, or they simply did without. No students were penalized for not having a mobile device.

Did the "haves" and "have nots" become really evident in class? Yes, but that was already very evident because not every student had brand new $100 Jordans.

Did students become too reliant on using their cell phones to find answers? No, students learned just like you and I, when used properly and appropriately, cell phones can be an awesome resource to broaden and enhance learning opportunities.

Did your administration try to shut you down? No, my administration was very supportive and saw the value of utilizing outside resources to increase learning opportunities for students. They also saw the value of making schools more relevant and realistic when compared to the "real world."

- While thinking about this topic... consider, could you go an entire day without your cell phone? Try leaving your cell phone at home one day before going to work and then you will know how many of our students feel... 

- Also, if we don't teach kids how to appropriately use cell phone technology in a safe and proper way, then who will?

- What are your thoughts... how can we harness the power of cell phones in schools in a safe and appropriate manner?

It's time to make the shift...

This year has been a year of growth... a year of learning... and most importantly, a year of reflection. Countless conversations have taken place and many of those conversations have ended with a common but yet necessary statement, "let's figure out what we need to do that is going to be best for our students."

Too often we get caught up in what we as educators are doing; too often we talk about how great something was that we did, but for some reason our students just didn't respond how we expected them to; too often we end up passing the blame for something that we can ultimately control and influence...

Problem:

As educators, we tend to focus on what we are doing when we need to focus more on how our students respond to what we are doing...

Potential solutions:

- When students perform poorly on either a formative or summative assessment, consider how the information was presented and potential reasons for the poor performance.

- When students are not engaged and not paying attention, consider the reasons for this behavior and think about strategies to re-engage them rather than just thinking of ways to punish them into compliance.

- When students seem disconnected to the content and purpose of education, take time to share with them why they need to know this and how this information will affect them in their lives.

- When students are acting in a certain way, either positively or negatively, they are telling you something about you and your class, as well as their current life situation; use this information wisely and always be aware of it.

- Encourage your students to do a survey about your teaching and instructional practices; you can acquire a ton of valuable information when you give your students a voice. (here is one I used)

Additional thoughts:

- If a student exhibits the same undesirable behavior on a daily basis and you respond the same way each time without success, you need to change what you are doing; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is tiring and a waste of your time...

- If what you did in the past worked but for some reason it's now not working, remember that all students are different and as society changes so do our students; maintain your adaptability and never do something just because it's the way you've always done it before...

- If you find yourself blaming your students for any reason, it's time to step back and look in the mirror and truly be honest about your actions as an educator...

Challenge:

Take your performance as an educator to the next level by shifting your focus. Your focus needs to be on how your students respond and act as a result of your actions. If you are not getting the desired results for your students to succeed, the answer lies with them. When you find that answer (which may be different for many students), apply it to your instructional practices and you will begin to see results. Accept the awesome responsibility of educating our future leaders, and remember that it is about their success and growth, not your predetermined expectations...