Not Really Feeling Growth Mindset

Coming into this assignment, I hadn’t heard about Carol Dweck but I had heard about growth mindset in high school. I believe we watched a video in one of my psych lessons on the different theories of intelligence. I have always not thought much of this theory. Especially when it is used in a “help urban students” way, which I saw in the Ted Talk. My opinion is that the students growth mindset is typically so focused on especially do not have the time or energy to be invigorated by challenges. If my middle school student is comforted that she/he/they can do a math assignment with ease, then I’ll gladly celebrate that comfort. Coming from a background where a lot was asked of me from a young age, extra challenges in school, athletics, and music were never welcome. I am of course open to learning more about growth mindset, but I’m not 100% excited about hearing from Dweck again. The ways in which she referenced Native communities and students in her Ted talk were highly problematic and triggering for me. At this point in university I don’t worry about classes. As a history major, I know how to write an essay. What are history classes but a series of differently formatted, differently focused essays? Again, I am very interested in learning more about what other people have to say about growth mindset and how it has affected other students. I get the whole "we are learning constantly" thing, but my issue lies in where it is hailed as the key to all students' problems. Particularly it bothers me just because it makes it seem like a student has endless time to master something. In many lives this is not the case. Especially coming from cultural communities where learning happens fast and hard. The idea of “not yet” just irks the high school part of me that knew what I was good and bad at and nothing gave me more comfort and assurance in myself.

( Random Cat Widget )