Thoughts on Growth Mindset

 

(Cat meme about growth mindset, Laura's Mindset Cats blog)

Before watching the TED talk, I had never heard of Carol Dweck or this idea of the "growth mindset," so the concept is a new one to me.  Based on the description that Dweck provided in the presentation, I would say that I fall more on the "fixed" side of the spectrum, at least when it comes to school.  If I think about it, I tend to believe that my academic abilities are unchanging by this point, especially after I have been a student for so long.  This mindset is probably often to my detriment--for example, I am pretty quiet and shy in class, but I hurt my participation grade in classes a lot because I assume that I can never change my ways (and therefore have trouble even beginning to try).  I'm not sure that I'm universally on the fixed end of the spectrum, though.  For example, this week, I've been trying to make homemade yogurt for the first time (cooking is one of my hobbies), and the first batch that I made absolutely failed.  However, instead of believing that I could not make yogurt, I just became more determined and tried again the next day--and that time, it worked!  It probably depends on how invested I am in the problem that I'm attempting to solve.  The more invested I am, the more of a growth mindset I have, because I want to do well.

I think this concept is an interesting one, and I'm excited to see what else I learn about the growth mindset in the coming weeks of this course.  One of my personal learning goals for this semester is to become more confident in an academic setting.  If I do have the opportunity to start a master's program next semester, I want to approach all of the challenges that will come armed with a mindset of "not yet," seeking personal growth instead of stagnating in the present.