Developing Growth Mindset
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” ~Carol Dweck
How to Catch a Star
By Oliver Jeffers
A TCE Growth Mindset School-Wide Project
We participated in an end of the school year Growth Mindset project. The project was based around the book titled, How to Catch a Star, by Oliver Jeffers. (Watch the videos below to listen to the story read out loud and to watch a stop motion short film based on the book.)
After we read the book in class, students created a Geometry Star. The Geometry Stars all started with point A and point B. Then students scattered 12-15 additional points on their paper. Rulers and pencils were used to connect all points to point A and point B. Creating a multitude of various triangles. (We looked for acute angles, obtuse angles, scalene and isosceles triangles.) Once students were finished connecting the points, they colored each individual section on their Geometry Star! (See the example below.)
The students then chose how they wanted to write their own, "How to Catch a Star" piece of text. Their choices were to write either a poem, a narrative text, or an expository text. You can read their writing pieces below!
After we read the book in class, students created a Geometry Star. The Geometry Stars all started with point A and point B. Then students scattered 12-15 additional points on their paper. Rulers and pencils were used to connect all points to point A and point B. Creating a multitude of various triangles. (We looked for acute angles, obtuse angles, scalene and isosceles triangles.) Once students were finished connecting the points, they colored each individual section on their Geometry Star! (See the example below.)
The students then chose how they wanted to write their own, "How to Catch a Star" piece of text. Their choices were to write either a poem, a narrative text, or an expository text. You can read their writing pieces below!
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The Power of Yet
YET. One word. Three letters. It is one of our favorite words to say in our classroom.
The idea of a growth mindset can also be called the “Power of Yet.” In other words, you are not there yet, but you can get there.
Imagine what all of us could do for ourselves, for the people we love, and the world we live in if we give our very best and replace “can’t” with a deafening “yet”!
That's what we do in our classroom and to encourage you to find your "Power of Yet", we've created inspirational videos.
So what are you waiting for? When you are feeling like you can't, just add YET!
*This was the first time that many of the students have worked with a video editing program such as Wevideo or iMovie. These final projects involved many steps from the brainstorming process, to writing and editing scripts, to locating pictures that represented thoughts, to creating voiceovers, to adding music to learning how to use Wevideo or iMovie! We hope you enjoy them.
The idea of a growth mindset can also be called the “Power of Yet.” In other words, you are not there yet, but you can get there.
Imagine what all of us could do for ourselves, for the people we love, and the world we live in if we give our very best and replace “can’t” with a deafening “yet”!
That's what we do in our classroom and to encourage you to find your "Power of Yet", we've created inspirational videos.
So what are you waiting for? When you are feeling like you can't, just add YET!
*This was the first time that many of the students have worked with a video editing program such as Wevideo or iMovie. These final projects involved many steps from the brainstorming process, to writing and editing scripts, to locating pictures that represented thoughts, to creating voiceovers, to adding music to learning how to use Wevideo or iMovie! We hope you enjoy them.
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Thomas
Using iMovie
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Samantha
Using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Rex
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Zara
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Mrs. Devora
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Brendon
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Joseph
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Rachel
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Kameron
using iMovie
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Graham
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Silas
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Karina
using Wevideo
The Power of Yet
Written and Produced
by Willa
using Wevideo
Reach For the Stars
A Growth Mindset
Art Project & Writing Project
Mrs. Kelley, our art mom, helped us create a "Reach for the Stars" art project for our classroom door. During the project, students discussed their ambitions, goals and dreams.
After the art project, we completed a writing project as an extension. Everyone wrote a "Reach for the Stars" themed poem. Students developed their poems using the following process:
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Developing a Growth Mindset |
Brain Jump with Ned the Neuron |
The Power of Belief |
Developing Growth Mindset in the Face of Adversity |
Happy Dot Day
"Just make mark and see where it takes you!"
Do You Have Grit?
The Challenge
Students used paper and a pair of scissors to attempt to make the structure shown below. They could not touch the structure, but they were encouraged to move around it and view it from all angles. They could not cut "out" sections of the paper to create the structure. Students were to encouraged to discuss their ideas and methods as they worked, but if they were successful, they were to keep their method to themselves.
Then the fun began! I didn’t offer any advice or encouragement once the students began. I just observed and recorded comments while I walked around the room.
I typed the recorded statements and we had conversations about them. We discussed how life can be full of challenging situations that often appear too difficult for us to overcome. We talked about how everyone has different strengths, and as a result we all face different challenges, but the one thing that we have in common is that we will all struggle at some stage in our life.
We referred back to the statements recorded during the activity and discussed how the language we tell ourselves can quickly becomes our own best friend or worst enemy. After much discussion, we placed the statements into three possible categories; Growth Mindset statements, Fixed Mindset statements and statements that could be considered "both", depending on what occurred after the statement was made.
Then the fun began! I didn’t offer any advice or encouragement once the students began. I just observed and recorded comments while I walked around the room.
I typed the recorded statements and we had conversations about them. We discussed how life can be full of challenging situations that often appear too difficult for us to overcome. We talked about how everyone has different strengths, and as a result we all face different challenges, but the one thing that we have in common is that we will all struggle at some stage in our life.
We referred back to the statements recorded during the activity and discussed how the language we tell ourselves can quickly becomes our own best friend or worst enemy. After much discussion, we placed the statements into three possible categories; Growth Mindset statements, Fixed Mindset statements and statements that could be considered "both", depending on what occurred after the statement was made.
Click the button below to read the statements we heard during our “Do You Have Grit?” Challenge.