1st day back of term 4 - Growth Mindset.

"Without the ability to struggle life becomes very limited"
A fear of struggling will stop students from trying something they are not 100% certain they will succeed at with ease.  - Written by Tim Bowman - an experienced educator and author with a passion for student well-being and efficiency in education.

Jethro & Seb looking at the structures .... "Right - where to from here?"...

This afternoon the children were shown a 'structure' I had made - they had a piece of card and a pair of scissors. They could look at the structure but not touch it. They then had to make it - as the children were making the structure - I walked the room and listened to the conversations. I wrote down on the whiteboard some of the comments I heard.
After about 15 minutes of the children attempting to make the structure - I had them sit down with me and we discussed the comments I had heard.

Straight away the children could see - GROWTH MINDSET. They couldn't do it YET!
We talked about what they could be doing - to change their mindset - so they could do it.
They didn't believe me (well - some didn't) when I told them they were ALL teachers! We teach each other - we can learn from each other - in our discussions - in what we do etc...

Sam T giving it a good go. Sam didn't want to give it - so he took the idea home and worked on it at home - and guess what? HE DID IT! He worked out how to make the structure. Did his dad and mum?

Jayden & Abigail - the discussion at this table was brilliant. One girl said "My structure is terrible, it looks terrible" and Jayden replied "It doesn't look terrible - it looks good - keep going and don't give up" - wow Jayden - what great growth mindset. NOT GIVING UP - YET.

Xaivier & Sam B - here they are making their structures. No one on the day actually made the correct structure - but the conversations were well worth talking about. 

Ella & Maddy - concentrating .............

Toby with an original structure......

Some of the comments I heard as I was walking around the classroom. 

I wrote these as I heard them from the children - after 15 minutes I sat the children down and we looked at these comments. We then discussed what it was they were telling themselves.
THE LEARNING POINT HERE WAS: How could we change what we were saying to ourselves?
The children were just awesome at saying POSITIVE things and changing their conversations from negative to a positive.