Unit 3: xxx

Combining Cognitive Learning with Growth Mindset for Middle School Students

Growth Mindset Principles for Middle School

If learners do not feel efficacious, hopeful or competent, they may make the decision to opt out of learning. A growth mindset offers learners the drive to accept new and potentially risky challenges. The view you adopt for yourself affects the way you lead your life. If middle school students learn that their efforts are a greater indicator of their overall success; and their attitudes, talents, interests and even aptitudes are malleable; they will naturally strive for success. Educators must strive to develop that mindset when engaged in instruction or assessment -like activities that involve generating evidence or evaluating results. Assessment practices should build hope, efficacy and achievement for students.

Specific Principles

The specific growth mindset principles applicable to middle school students are:

take ownership over your attitude

value the process over the end result

view challenges as opportunities

Integrated Practices

Combining metacognition with a growth mindset holds considerable potential for middle schooling because it focuses important big ideas that promote wholeness and unity rather than separation and fragmentation.

However, even the most accomplished teachers are challenged because they are asked to learn new kinds of pedagogical content and work outside of the dominant disciplinary culture.

There are a number of interventions that educators can use, but Jonathan Cohen, author of Educating Minds and Hearts, advocates for an orientation period at the beginning of the school year.

Orientation: Part 1

Before the start of the school year, teachers should gather and reflect on why they became teachers, what they believe is their essential role, what factors they believe create a positive school climate, how they would like their students to describe them and what support they need from each other to avoid cynicism and burnout.

Orientation: Part 2

This part is implemented during the first week of school but the activities used are refined and reinforced throughout the school year. During this period, teachers should refrain from introducing textbooks and academic content. This week will be spent creating a classroom environment in which students are motivated and excited about learning. This is not a waste of time for middle school students. Using the following strategies will address the needs of students first and will promote involvement in their education, capacity to deal with frustrations and mistakes, as well as self-discipline.

Helping Students to Feel Welcome
Developing Responsibility
Teaching Decision Making and Problem Solving Skills
Using Discipline to Create Self-Discipline and Control
Providing Positive Feedback and Encouragement
Teaching Students to Deal Effectively with Mistakes

Journal Tips for Reflection

Throughout this course you have had the opportunity to reflect on combining cognitive learning with growth mindset for middle school students. We began our reflection by recording what we think we know, what we learned, and what we hope to take action on. The following tips will help you complete your journal for this course.

Take a moment to jot down your experiences in attempting to implement your goal. Think about your......
.......Next, pose a question helping you to move forward in your research, such as: when/where can I use this information? or how can I alter my way of doing things to be more in line with this way of thinking? or what are the best practices for implementing these strategies?
.........Once your question is established, you can further utilize your journal by attaching a goal statement, such as: I will focus on implementing one strategy for three months or I will find and list supporting and critical arguments for this way of learning or I will list my experiences as I try out these different methods, etc