MINDSETS IN THE CLASSROOM 6

2/1/2017

Hello Faculty and Staff!
Chapter Six, What Messages Should Parents Hear About Mindset?, is fascinating. I acknowledge that students at Cross Creek are in high school and that many parents are beginning to step back in the role of "teacher." I also understand that, for various reasons, some educators are reluctant to look at growth/fixed mindset as research-based information. In a way, the research provided by Dweck and others are only confirming what teachers already know: hard work, practice, and attitude about facing challenges can make the difference for our students! From the most engaged high flyers to those students who struggle with basic organizational skills, there is room to improve.

Instructions for both Veteran and Beginning Teachers:
Read Chapter Six. Being a pragmatist, I am combining the ideas put forth in Chapter Six with the realities of early college life. Your assignment for this chapter will become the basis for a document that parents who attend common parent conferences will receive at the end of the meeting. I think "sharing" information rather than "telling" parents, especially for parents whose child is struggling, about mindset is worth the effort. You are welcome to be inspired by the sample newsletter(s) in Appendix B, but please make it specific to you and your discipline (science, mathematics, social studies, language arts, foreign language, ACR, etc.) For the administrators, please write your newsletter blurb with a school-wide comprehensive approach. Your newsletter submission's length should be a minimum of one fantastic paragraph to a maximum of three (equally awesome!) I have a 25.00 gift card for the winning newsletter submission! Remember, there are still cut-off limits . . .

Click on blog "comments" to answer.

If you have questions feel free to contact me. athetford@edumentality or [email protected].

In this hybrid book study teachers will earn a total of 12 hours (1.2 ceu's) for reading each chapter, responding to discussion prompts online, and sharing application of ideas. You will be given no later than (NLT) dates for completing chapters.

15 Comments

Julia Little

2/4/2017 07:53:01 am

I have high expectations for my ninth grade Honors Earth and Environmental Science students and my eleventh grade Honors Chemistry students. Careful time management and a strong work ethic will result in tremendous personal growth in science, and perhaps ignite a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career goal ember. Just as Thomas Edison had to fail one thousand times before successfully inventing the electric light bulb, so too shall our class, teacher and students together, learn from our mistakes as well as from our successes. All of us have unique talents. We just have to help each other find them and apply them to the subject of science and to the living of life.

Kelley Hasapis

2/6/2017 11:26:08 am

I am so proud to teach your child in Honors English II. While we are a society that values grades and scores, I do not want you to think that this is the ultimate goal in my class or in life in general. Hard work, perserverance, and dedication are all important factors to success in my class. My focus tends to be on not only the information your child acquired during our studies of World literature but also on what life lessons and themes they gleaned during the process. Learning is not a linear actions with a specific end goal in sight. Rather, its a circular process with many life lessons to be learned, used, and adapted to fit their own lives. If a child can successfully do this, then I as a teacher feel accomplished. Please continue to encourage your child at home. Let them know that both you and I share a common goal: to provide them with a positive learning experience and will a plethora of encouragement along the way.

Rod Hosking

2/16/2017 10:40:30 am

It is a distinct pleasure to have this opportunity to teach your child this year in English IV. This year we will examine many great pieces of literature carefully and closely. Drive, determination, effort, and perseverance are qualities and characteristics we want to build in this course. Grades are objects of great concern and envy but the skills employed in their acquisition have a far greater impact and value. Practice, trial and error, and re-examination are all worthwhile skills which will be addressed. Learning is not a grade; it is a mindset. I hope that through our time together, each of us will kindle that flame of desire for learning and education. That spark should never die.

Kenny Huffman

2/21/2017 08:07:37 am

I'd like to welcome you and your child to Cross Creek Early College. Your child will be experiencing Social Studies with me. My primary focus is to develop critical thinking skills in our students. I believe this to be an important facet in preparation for the academic culture our students will encounter at the university level. This will require tenacity and perseverance on the student's part. If your child enters the program with the mindset to improve themselves, he/she will most certainly benefit from the innovative techniques and instruction we provide.

Tamela Rappold

2/22/2017 04:17:38 am

Welcome to this series of Parent / Teacher Conferences. As your child’s world language teacher I would like to share with you the secret to helping your child be successful in language learning. Someone once said that being in a foreign language classroom is the riskiest type of class to be in. It is the only class where every time a student starts to speak he/she is just as likely to be wrong as to be right. Just as you successfully taught your child to speak their first language, I would appreciate your support in their endeavor to learn a second language. Do you remember the excitement you felt when you heard your child say your name for the first time? It did not matter that the word was formed imperfectly. You knew that pronunciation would improve over time. Instead you praised your child’s effort and, by doing so, you helped your child become fluent in his/her first language.

Similarly the path to fluency in a second language is a long journey. Please remind your child that learning a second language is a process. No one ever reaches perfection but everyone, with effort and encouragement, continuously grows in proficiency. If your child does poorly on a test or quiz, encourage him/her to find out what needs to be reviewed and to practice that skill until the content is mastered. Tutoring is available to help your child through this process. However, please reassure your child that getting an “F” on an assessment does not in any way mean that he/she is an "F" or a failure. Receiving an “F” on an assessment simply identifies where more work is needed. Once corrected, reassure your child that he/she is back on the path to achieving the goal of becoming fluent in their second language.

Tiffany Starling

2/22/2017 12:49:22 pm

Thank you for attending this parent-teacher conference. I hope I have enlighten you and your child on ways we can improve their math skills. Math may not always come easy but if we have a positive mindset, we can change our view on math. Some of the things I hear a lot in math is, “math is just too hard’, or “I’ll never be as smart as her/him”. Instead of thinking this way, I encourage all my students to think “okay, what am I missing”, “this may take some time and effort”, or “what does he/she do so that I may try it”. Mistakes help you to improve, so with some practice, I know your child can succeed in my math class. As a teacher, I try to relate each math topic to something they are familiar with outside the classroom, to help students understand the topic better. Please reassure your child that they can succeed in anything they put their mind to. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. My email and the schools number is below. Have a great day!

Ann Jennison Shields

2/22/2017 02:48:38 pm

Welcome to (name of math course)! I'm looking forward to working with you and your student as we explore new concepts and ideas. Although we do focus on procedural knowledge, like steps to solve an equation, we will also focus on problem solving and critical thinking. These skills will be useful in all classes, and many aspects of life! I know that math can be a difficult subject for many people, but I truly believe that your student can grow throughout the semester. Effort, perseverance, and a willingness to learn from mistakes are the tools for building success.

Keno Kerr

2/23/2017 04:39:36 am

I want to welcome you and your child to Cross Creek Early College High School and to Math at the Honors level. The fact that it is honors do not be alarmed as we at Cross Creek Early College High School focuses on the effort more than the result. Even though the results are important it is the journey in getting to the result that will be most rewarding. I guarantee that at the end of the course your child will be verse in the art of critical thinking and problem solving as we create an environment for students to develop and master these skills, stills that will be useful in all areas of life.

K. R. McGinnis

2/23/2017 07:05:43 am

Greetings and salutations. It is my pleasure to be a teacher at Cross Creek and it is doubly my pleasure to be your child's teacher. First, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to be part of this event and for your commitment to your child's success. Second, I wanted to establish what kind of classroom I run and where my expectations are for your child, all children, and myself.

My standards, regardless of the course I am teaching, are incredibly high, but not so high they can never be achieved. Because of these high standards, it is not uncommon for a student to struggle. The key is for the child not to become disenfranchised and give up on the work or give up on themselves.

My approach is fundamentally post-modern. What that means is that I am far more focused on the individual pieces than the singular, monolithic result. Put simply - I am more concerned with the journey than the destination. The pieces are as important, if not more so, than the final product. All things must work together.

Ergo, if your child is not the greatest test taker, there are plenty of other avenues where he or she can be successful. If the child struggles with time management, there are pillars in place to assist them develop those skills.

Obviously, yes, results do matter. We live in a results-based, data driven world, but I feel that if we, collectively, focus more the individual pieces, including both strengths and deficiencies, then the positive results will follow.

When your child enters the class, they will assess what they knew about American Literature. If the child has done what they were supposed to do, to the best of his or her abilities, there will be no concern about grades and I assure you that your child will have grown and developed in numerous ways.

Alexis Howard

2/23/2017 09:12:24 am

"It's time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!" With quoting one of my favorite scientists, the extraordinary Miss Frizzle, it is my pleasure to help lead your children in this biological journey of learning about life! Together, we will delve deeper into all the components that make up life. We will examine each component on a micro level. We will make connections and see how when pieced together, they make up concepts of macro proportions! We will learn from all angles of learning! From visuals, text, collaboration, and project based learning, we not be afraid to take chances. We will not be afraid of taking those chances, because we know we are not judged for our mistakes. We embrace them, and grow from them. Sometimes learning will get messy, and that is okay! We will not be students that are simply taught the facts, but young scientists who will be able to see how biology truly connects all aspects of the life we are living! So I leave you with the wise words of Albert Einstein. "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."

Jane Merritt

2/24/2017 07:02:23 am

Welcome to ACR III/IV. I look forward to helping your child be successful in their high school and college classes. The juniors will experience their first college courses out on the campus of Fayetteville State and I will assist them with organization and strategies to help them succeed. We will also focus on preparing for the ACT. For the seniors, I will help them with applying to colleges, and earning scholarships. I know this will be a great year!

Patsy Patrick

2/26/2017 05:33:49 pm

Welcome to Cross Creek Early College High School. We are excited for you to share in the journey of a growth mindset. This year will bring many opportunities for students, staff, and parents to learn and grow. Cross Creek will expect you to set goals and work hard to reach them. According to research it has been proven the only way to learn and get smarter is to try something new and work hard even if you make mistakes. In order to grow you will make mistakes, but you will learn from them. Putting forth the effort to reach your goals is what makes you smart. Cross Creek Early College High School is committed to help you along the way as long as you put forth effort and persevere in both your high school and college classes.

Milagros Rivera link

2/28/2017 07:33:35 pm

Welcome to Cross Creek Early College High School and to Spanish class. As a foreign language teacher I am very aware of the challenges that your child will encounter in their journey of learning Spanish. It is not an easy task but with persistence and patience your child can be successful. Practice, practice and more practice. Practice makes perfect but again your child needs to put forth effort. No one can wave a magic wand and make it happened. At times it may seem that will are taking baby steps but eventually the parts of the puzzle start falling in place. We need to have a positive attitude to obtain good results. It will not happened overnight. I will be there to help every step of the way. I offer my tutoring services for as long as your child is my student. I believe in your child as much as you do. Through perseverance and hard work your child will get the results that he wants. Please reassure your child that he/she can learn even if it takes time. I am here to help in this process. You may contact me at any time via e-mail, or by phone.

Gina Hickle

3/2/2017 07:39:48 am

Parents, it can be frustrating to watch your child struggle with achievement during the high school years. There is pressure from many sources for our children to not only achieve, but to excel in practically every area of their young lives. YOU are your child’s number one advocate and cheerleader, so understand how essential it is for you to learn and adopt the tenets of a growth mindset philosophy as you provide encouragement and support for your child throughout their lifetime. Adopting a growth mindset means pulling away from the fixed mindset belief we tend to cling to in explaining away our children’s strengths and weaknesses. It is believing that your child can become successful in attaining their goals with hard-work, perseverance, and practice rather than thinking they can only go so far because they don’t have that particular “gift.”
So get in the practice of celebrating your child’s efforts when they are sincere and praise them for the hard-work they do in pursuit of an end goal. If they are struggling in math, let them know how much you recognize the hours of studying and tutoring they are investing instead of waiting to praise them for the “A” on the next test. If they tend to be shy and struggle making friends, compliment them on the risk they took in saying hello to a student they don’t know very well. If organization and time management is a chronic difficulty, use yourself as a model and share your hands-on strategies or acknowledge your own struggles and insist that you will both improve on this together! In either case, you are expressing the belief that your child can master and overcome the issue successfully.
A parent’s voice tends to be the one a child hears with the most clarity; therefore make yours a voice of support that is non-accepting of excuses but instead expresses the sincere belief that your child can certainly achieve a level of meaningful success if they are willing to put in the necessary amount of time, effort, and revisiting. Never give up!

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