Perception of the Growth Mindset

Starting my third course in the ADL program has made me nervous but this week began with the perception of the growth mindset.  One thing that resonated with me was how we interpreted the word “Yet”.  Dweck (2014) brought up an interesting concept that instead of grading students with a failing grade, students would receive a grade of “Not yet”.  This put students on a learning curve and allowed them not to see themselves as failures but to take that experience and create a learning path for their future.  This made me reflect and realize I may not know everything “yet” but facing the challenges head on and conquering setbacks will get me to my end goal in this master’s program.

When I think of adopting a growth mindset, it means embracing new challenges and viewing them as opportunities to grow and reflect. Pushing through these challenges and setbacks allows an individual to adapt to any situation and be able to learn from it.  Briceno (2012) focuses on the fixed and growth mindset and how it affects us in our everyday lives.  Individuals who have a fixed mindset tend to give up easily when a task becomes too difficult and move on to something that is less challenging.  People with a growth mindset tend to view their mistakes as opportunities to reflect and grow and create a path for their futures.

I must admit that I find myself having a fixed mindset when I get flustered when things don’t always turn out the way I want them.  When I began the ADL program in August, I came in thinking, “How am I able to do this?”, “Will I be successful?”, “What if it’s not good enough?”.  I knew I needed to change this mindset and luckily, I was able to meet my group that has helped me overcome this type of mindset.  The weekly readings and videos have helped me tremendously in knowing how to shape my mindset and begin to grow as person.

Dweck, C. (2014). Developing a growth mindset with Carol Dweck. Stanford Alumni: YouTube. https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ?si=gDAcpHG5l3V88gsp 

Briceno, E. (2012). The power of belief–mindset and success. TEDx Talks: YouTube. https://youtu.be/pN34FNbOKXc?si=v76SkEm6KNlWzL-Lm6KNlWzL-L

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