Developing Growth Mindsets by Donna Wilson & Marcus Conyers

Author:Donna Wilson & Marcus Conyers [Wilson, Donna & Conyers, Marcus]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781416629177
Publisher: ASCD
Published: 2020-05-02T00:00:00+00:00

Five Strategies for Setting and Reaching Growth Goals

Setting learning goals at an appropriate level of challenge is key to motivation and sustaining learning. Educators can help students courageously confront learning challenges by reminding them about their brains' amazing plasticity, which allows them to "rewire their brains" with each learning gain. In addition, students benefit when teachers provide additional support in the form of teaching and reinforcing the use of learning strategies that can help students set and progress toward their goals.

Student goals should be intrinsically motivating and doable but challenging. The following strategies can be helpful in guiding students to set their learning goals at what we call the Goldilocks level of challenge—not too difficult, not too easy, but just right:

Advise students to define their goals by identifying in clear terms what they hope to accomplish. To increase motivation, give students choices in the content of their projects, materials, and activities when possible (see the following Teacher-Tested Technique). Assist students in putting their goals in writing and posting them where they will be able to see them each day.

Help students think through the process of accomplishing a goal from start to finish with a measurable plan for success.

Remind students that big goals are achieved by planning and working through a series of smaller, more manageable steps to keep making progress.

Begin new units and projects by having students fill in a graphic organizer to identify what they will be studying, why it is important, and what steps are required to reach their goals.

Celebrate incremental wins. As each small step is reached, suggest that students recognize their accomplishments and internalize their wins.

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