The Power of Mindsets

Mindset is a state of mind. Mind sets can make a huge difference, because they make things easier or harder depending on how you use them. They might affect whether you can get the Snickers challenge, how many pirouettes you can do, or what score you get on a test. When someone thinks“I can’t do that,” he or she normally can’t do it. An example of a good mind set, where you think to yourself, “I can do it,” appears in one of my little brother’s books, The Little Engine That Could “Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine. ‘I think I can- I think I can- I think I can- I think I can- I think I can- I think I can - I think I can -I think I can- I think I can’ Up,up,up. Faster and faster and faster the little engine climbed, until at last they reached the top of the mountain.”

Carol Dweck, who discovered mindsets, teaches psychology at Stanford University. She wrote a book called Mindset. Mindset describes and demonstrates mindsets in sports, education, and relationships . Dweck’s book is the product of a decade of research on how people learn and perform. She identified two types of mindsets.

The two mindsets are growth mindsets and fixed mindsets. If you have a growth mindset you understand that abilities are things that can be developed. Fixed mindsets , by contrast, are a static idea of what can be achieved. Growth mindsets have been proven better for learning and achieving hard goals. A study with 7th graders showed that the ones with growth mindsets were more motivated than the others. After the period of two years a significant gap in math scores developed between the children with growth mindsets and the children with fixed mindsets.

           In PE, John had us do a Snickers challenge for hockey. A Snickers challenge is when we are presented with a challenge, if we can do it, everyone in the class gets a Snickers. This Snickers challenge was to hit the hockey ball into the soccer goal on the other side of the gym. The people who were more confident seemed to hit it in more often. At the end of that class John talked about mindsets and how important they are. John’s comments are what gave me the idea for this blog.

In ballet, I use mindsets all the time: when I’m about to do a pirouette, when I’m learning a new step, or even when my feet hurt. It’s helpful to picture the ballet step being done perfectly. One of the company artists at OBT is my idol. Trying to picture her doing a step and then telling myself I can do the same thing, normally makes ballet easier.

Mindsets can also help with school. Studying is important but it is not enough. Mindsets are vital, because they can make you more or less confident. Fixed mindsets can make it hard to think. Growth mindsets help with learning.

These examples demonstrate how mindsets can change lives. By helping sports, arts, and education, growth mindsets have a huge influence on performance.  Fixed mindsets, however, only make learning harder. I hope after reading this blog you will be more aware of how you think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

works cited:

http://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/whatismindset.aspx, http://mindsetonline.com/,http://en.wikipedia.org, http://community.mindsetworks.com/blog-page/home-blogs/entry/carol-dweck-receives-distinguished-scientific-contribution-article-award, http://www.thoughtfullearning.com/blog/cat/Creative%20Thinking

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mind-set