Growth Mindset

I have never heard of either Carol Dweck or the concept of "growth mindset" before, but they were certainly words that I needed to hear. I tend to have what Carol defines as a "fixed" mindset, because I have always been obsessed with making good grades, excelling above and beyond expectations, and being naturally gifted at whatever task set before me. Regardless of prior knowledge or experience, I often expect myself to be instantly good at things and become incredibly frustrated when I am not. Throughout high school and the beginning of college, I had always been a straight A student, but I had never stepped very far out of my comfort zone of learning. Since I was studying music, something I had done since I was six, concepts and techniques came naturally to me and I was never faced with much failure.

When I transferred to OU, I challenged myself with something completely new and become a science major (even though I somehow managed to get through high school with barely any science classes). It was often difficult at first, but I began to see unsatisfactory test grades as stepping stones to true understanding and stressed out less about my grades and GPA, instead appreciating the concepts I was learning and the growth I was experiencing. Whether or not it was reflected on a test, paper, or even an entire class, I was learning information that would be useful to me in my future career as a Physical Therapist. That's when I really began to enjoy practicing, studying, reading, and truly learning so that I could always challenge myself to take it one step farther and become smarter.

I enjoyed the videos of Carol's talks because they greatly resonated with me and encouraged me to step outside of this "fixed" mindset. My favorite example of hers was the grades of "Not Yet" earned by stuents because not immediately excelling is not the end of the world as we often see it. It is simply postponing to ensure future success. That story reminds me of my brother's Pre-Kindergarten teacher telling my parents that my brother needed "the gift of another year" when she decided to hold him back. It ended up working out wonderfully and the "Not Yet" grade reminds me of this.

Personally, I would love to implement this Growth Mindset into my academic and social endeavors because I truly think it is the healthiest mindset for peace and happiness. One class I'm especially hoping to experience this in is my government class since that is a subject that I have no experience and extremely limited knowledge in, meaning I know it will take time for me to understand and I must be patient with myself. I am inspired by this topic and would like to learn more!

(Growth Mindset Image from Flickr)