HANDOUT Growth.Mindset.Brookes.pdf
How to Motivate Reluctant Learners: Fostering a Growth Mindset
A practical guide that shows K-5 teachers how to infuse their existing curriculum and routines with high-quality, evidence-based SEL instruction.
The Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox
Practical Strategies to Support All Students
"Should be in the hands of every educator working in preK-12. Dr. Perez masterfully integrates key concepts and research related to building social and emotional competency and arranging positive classroom environments with practical strategies that can be feasibly used with all age levels."
--Sara Whitcomb, Licensed Psychologist
The Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox Practical Strategies to Support All Students
By Kathy Perez, Ed.D.
Strong social-emotional skills help students succeed in the classroom and beyond—but many teachers report that they lack the tools and time to effectively support social-emotional learning (SEL). Help is here with The Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox, an introductory guide that shows K-5 teachers how to infuse their existing curriculum and routines with high-quality, evidence-based SEL instruction.
Created by a seasoned educator with three decades of experience, this engaging, research-supported guidebook is filled with classroom-tested tips and techniques for teachers who want to begin integrating SEL practices into each part of their school day. You'll learn the fundamentals of designing effective classroom environments and lessons with easy-to-implement, inclusive SEL supports for every student, whether they have ongoing behavior and learning challenges or just need a little extra help. With engaging and unique strategies and numerous online printable tools and worksheets, you'll help your students reduce acting-out behaviors, strengthen relationships, and develop critical skills like self-discipline and empathy.
Discover How To:
- Build self-regulation skills in students so they can manage their emotions and be ready to learn
- Help students develop emotional intelligence so they can understand and express their feelings
- Strengthen executive functioning skills to boost both social and academic competence
- Develop positive, trusting relationships with students
- Explicitly teach and model empathy in your classroom
- Promote a growth mindset to improve students' motivation, productivity, and confidence
US$39.95 | Stock#: 51516 | November 2022 | 240 pages | paperback | ISBN 978-1-68125-435-7
- Teach mindfulness practices to help students relax, maintain attention, and focus on the present moment
Fostering a Growth Mindset
Draw or Write Your Reflections
Think of a time you learned something new. What step did you take?
Think of a time you failed at something. How did you feel? What happened?
My Personal Weather Report
Sit down and close your eyes. What is the weather like inside you right now? Do you feel relaxed and sunny or cloudy and sad?
10 Best Phrases to Teach Resilience to Your Kids
| Goal | Phrase |
|---|---|
| Humor | "Come on, laugh it off" |
| Containing Perfectionism and Anxiety | "Don't let this spoil everything" |
| Distraction | "Let's take a break" |
| Handling Worry and Asking for Help | "I know it looks bad now but you will get through this" |
| Positive Reframing | "What can you learn from this so it doesn't happen next time?" |
| Acceptance | "Don't worry - relax and see what happens!" |
| Perspective | "This isn't the end of the world" |
| Flexible Thinking | "You could be right. But have you thought about ..." |
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Statements
| Instead of... | Try saying... |
|---|---|
| I'm not good at this. | I can't do this yet! |
| I give up. | I'll use some of the strategies that I have been taught. |
| This is good enough. | Is this my best ever work? |
| I made a mistake, there's no point now. | This was the first attempt - I will get there eventually. Mistakes help me learn! |
| This is too hard. | If something is difficult, it means I am learning. |
| I'm really good at this subject. | I understand this because I have been practising. |
| I will never be as clever as them. | I will find out how to do it. |
| I can't do this. | This will take time to master - practising will help! |
| I can't make this any better. | Improvements can ALWAYS be made. |
| They can't do this. | How can I help them to understand this? |
Mindset Check-Up
Take a minute or two to answer these questions. There are no right or wrong answers here.
Part #1
CIRCLE THE BUTTON THAT YOU THINK BEST FITS!
3. I like doing things that I'll learn from even if I make a lot of errors.
Part #2
- When something is hard, it makes me want to spend more time on it, not less.
- You can always learn things, but you can't really change how smart you are.
- I like work the best when I can do well without putting a lot of effort in.
- I like doing work that I can do perfectly almost all of the time.
- When I have to put extra work in it makes me feel like I'm not as good as my peers. (NOW ADD THE TWO PARTS TOGETHER!)
Your Score
What it Means
- 8-16: You firmly believe that your talents, skills, and abilities are set traits. If you can't perform really well on a test or project you would rather just not do it.
- 17-24: You think your skills and intelligence probably don't change much. You like situations where you perform well, are less likely to make mistakes, and don't have to put in too much effort.
- 25-32: You're not too sure whether or not you can change your skills and intelligence. You believe that you can develop your skills and intelligence.
Mindset Activities for Students and Adults
Activities you can try to foster a growth mindset:
Crumpled Reminder Activity
- Ask students to write about a mistake they made this week and how it made them feel.
- Give each student a fresh piece of paper, ask them to crumple it up and throw it at the board.
- Retrieve the paper, un-crumple it, and color each line with different colors.
- Discuss the meanings of the lines.
Classroom Discussion Activity
- How do you feel when you make a mistake? Why?
- How do you think other people see you when you make a mistake?
- Have you ever felt proud of making a mistake?
Mistake Game
This exercise is a way for students to become comfortable discussing and learning from mistakes. They must deliberately include an error in their solutions when presenting.
Encouraging Interactivity
Encourage students to express their learning through interactive and engaging tasks which promote a community of learners supporting each other.
PEREZ’ BRAIN-BASED STRATEGIES
- Don't Be Boring
- Activate Learning with Voting
- Focus on ABCs: Acceptance, Belonging, Community
- Empathize with Students' Perspectives
- Continually Change the State of the Classroom
- Use Reflection and Rehearsal to Enhance Learning
- Manage Information Overloads with Chunking
- Utilize Props to Gain Attention
- Make Learning Interactive
- Have HOPE: Have Only Positive Expectations
These strategies aim to get students to manipulate and think critically about the information themselves, fostering a hands-on approach to learning.
List of Resources
- I Can Do It!: Fostering a Growth Mindset
- Understanding Growth Mindset from Stanford
- Strategies for Addressing Mindsets from Edutopia
- Giving Better Student Feedback on building a growth mindset through the arts.
Dr. Kathy Perez, an international consultant, presents on engaging classrooms and practical strategies for teaching, drawing from decades of experience to enhance learning outcomes.