After I handed back the final exams to my G7B and G8A students this morning, I asked them to take this survey. I am hoping the questions made them think a little bit. We will talk more about growth mindsets sometime this week.
1. Learning
English needs a lot of effort氣力, hard work and practice練習.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
2. I am not
afraid to make mistakes誤in English, in front of的面my classmates同班同學.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
3. Learning學識should come naturally輕而易舉地做 without effort.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
4. Setbacks挫折are always negative消極的.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
5. Set backs 挫折 are positive積極的. They are a natural正常的 part of the learning學識 process過程.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
6. If I don’t
try試圖, then I can’t
fail失敗.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
7. The brain腦is a muscle肌肉that can be trained訓練to be stronger強有力的.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
8. We are all
born出生with
equal相同的 intelligence智力.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree 相同意見 Disagree不同意 Disagree
9. Diet飲食, exercise運動 and sleep can hurt弄傷or help my brain腦 health健康.
I came across some
interesting articles by Dr. Carol Dwek (Professor of Psychology Stanford) that support my value on process
over product. Especially with some of my junior high classes that are lower
level English and low EQ, I wish I had magic powers to help these kids want to
learn. These “problem” students definitely are classic examples of a Fixed Mind
Set.
Fixed Mindset
Growth Mindset
1. Goals- fear based,
having to look smart at all costs; doesn’t study deeply
1. Goals- learn at all
costs; dives into learning challenges and tasks, no fear of losing face in
front of peers if learning
2. Effort- Learning
something should come naturally; effort means not smart enough
2. Effort- enjoys effort;
understands that hard work and practice, that learning is a process, it doesn’t
come magically
3. Setbacks- Setbacks are
always negative. Hide mistakes, conceal deficiencies, be defensive
3. Setbacks- Setbacks are
always positive. Capitalize on mistakes, confront deficiencies; realize that
setbacks are a natural part of the
learning process
How can I possibly
help these kids change from a Fixed, to a Growth Mindset? According to Prof.
Dwek, it comes in educating the person that they can change and become a better
learner. Anyone can grow a growth mindset, like a muscle.
The person needs
to learn brain basics (“Brainology”), that effort and difficulty create new
neurons in the brain. These brain basics include a lesson on short term and
long term memory and study strategies to help memory, a lesson on brain behavior,
how neurotransmitters work with emotions and self-regulation and a lesson on
brain building (neuroplasticity and learning).
I would also want to emphasize
to the kids how overall self-care contributes or harms brain health; getting enough sleep, drinking adequate amounts of water, omega 3 and 6, eating clean,
managing stress, regular exercise, etc affects their brain health.
Dwek participated
in many studies one of which proved that praising kids backfires and does not
create a growth mindset. Praising final results (like good grades) backfires
and promotes a fixed mindset. I see it here in this school, older elementary
school students are afraid to make mistakes, to ask teacher crucial questions
or take risks. Praising results teaches
the child that the adult can look inside of them and measure how smart they
are. Instead parents and educators should be praising the process, praising the
effort. In fact, in one study of mothers praising their 1-3 year olds, their
child’s mindset could be predicted (fixed).
It is my hope I
can have a classroom environment that feels safe for students to “fail forward”,
to honor the process of learning and praise the effort. If I can at least reach one child to redefine success as growth and not perfection, then I am a successful educator. I realize there is also a cultural barrier; the whole "lose face" culture is very strong, especially with Junior High kids as well as parents of a Confucian background focusing on test results over basics like getting enough sleep. Since final tests are over and we have 4 weeks of teaching before winter break, the next month will be one big experiment on promoting a growth mindset in my classrooms.
During our 3 day 10/10 weekend, I read a couple of relevant articles on learning. Both were in the New York Times. The first article was a book review of, " How We Learn, the Surprising Truth About When, Where and Why It Happens" by Benedict Carey. It shows the most efficient and effective ways to learn and study for different tests. Its a must read for every parent or educator.
For example, studying for a test on a foreign language, its best to go to bed early the night before the test, and wake up in the morning to review, while for a math test, its better to review right before sleep. He also questions the whole "cramming for tests" as students don't learn or retain anything and he criticizes sitting for long periods of time studying as its an inefficient way to absorb and retain information. He recommends short periods of study in different environments as, "the brain likes variety." To read the full review click here.
I'm all for more time efficient studying and relevant testing so kids have more time with their families and more time to exercise. To support my previous blog on exercise promoting academic excellence (see The Case for More P.E.) the Times had another article called, "How Exercise Can Boost Young Brains" which reiterates old and new studies that if children take a walk before a math or reading test, their scores improve. The latest tests prove exercise (in this case 70 minutes of moderate to intense playing after school) improved the part of the brain that controls executive functioning, as well as their ability to pay attention and block out unwanted distractions (everything a teachers wants from students).
Maybe instead of private tutoring with a teacher after school, it would be holistically beneficial to have them run, kick a soccer ball or swim laps with their teacher.
Insanity: doing the
same thing over and over again and expecting different results.-Albert Einstein
One way to transform the education system in Taiwan is through
exercise. If parents and educators really want their children’s grades,
cognitive functions, motivation and memory to improve, is by valuing fitness and
exercise. Not to mention the added benefits of physical longevity and quality
of life. What’s the point of studying hard at the expense of your health, to
get into the right University to get the right job to make a lot of money, and
end up flat on your back?
Being a teacher in Taiwan for over six years and having a
child in this system, I have a vested interest in education issues in Taiwan.
There are positives to the system here, as well as drawbacks. Having grown up
as a student in the US, I of course have my opinions based on my background.
Many recent academic studies support my belief: the more fit
the child is, the better the learner. Exercise optimizes the brain’s ability to
learn. Exercise also positively affects emotional and behavioral problems.
Physical activity
should have a place in the curriculum of every school that’s serious about
teaching its kids. In America, the
National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends 60 minutes a
day for children and adolescents. They recommend schools provide 150 minutes
per week of instructional physical education for elementary school children,
and 225 minutes per week for middle and high school students throughout the
school year. Adequate PE curriculum can help children achieve these numbers, in
turn creating healthy bodies and eager-to-learn minds. When I was a kid, PE was three times a week, plus a morning and afternoon 20 minute recess.
We need to get our kids out of their seats and learning. Maybe
in a public school your voice as a parent or student doesn’t have so much
weight, but at a private school, parents can pressure the school to adapt and
progress their methods from a more traditional style, sit and be fed style to
one that is more progressive and holistic. Short recess breaks are better than
nothing, and I am thankful my daughter is learning Tai Chi once a week, but a substantial PE curriculum isn’t so much to ask.
5-4-3-2-1. In this simple
game, students stand up and the teacher (or leader) has them do five different
movements in descending order. For example the teacher would say:
"Do five jumping jacks, spin around four times,
hop on one foot three times, walk all the way around the
classroom two times, give your neighbor one high-five
(pausing in between each task for students to do it).
Trading Places Have students stand behind
their pushed-in chairs. Call out a trait and everyone who has that trait
must change places with someone else (students who do not have the trait
stay where they are). Examples: "Everyone with curly hair."
"Everyone who ate cereal for breakfast." Everyone who is wearing
stripes."
Six Spots Number six spots around your room
from 1-6. Have students each go to a spot of their choice. Choose a
student to roll a die (if you can make a big one out of foam, it adds to
the fun). All the students at the number rolled must go back to their
seats. Students that are left go to a new spot and the die is rolled
again. Continue until only a few students are left.
Mingle, Mingle,
Group! In
this game students mill about the classroom saying, "mingle, mingle,
mingle" in soft voices until the teacher says "Groups of
5," at which point the students must quickly group themselves into
groups with the correct number of people. Students who are left over must
do three jumping jacks before the next round starts. The teacher can call
out any number for the group size. You can also add rules such as: as soon
as a group is complete, all members must sit down in a line.
Dance Party! Put on some rockin' music
and dance! If you can make the room semi-dark and have a black light or
other special effect, your kids will love it!
Freeze Dance! Similar to Dance Party
except that every so often the music stops and students must freeze and
hold the position they are in until the music begins again.
Name Moves Students stand behind their
chairs. In turn, each student says his or her name accompanied by a
special movement. For example a student might say, "Kayla!"
while dramatically dropping to one knee and doing Jazz Hands. After the
student does his or her move, the rest of the class says the students name
in unison and imitates the move. Then it is the next student's turn.
Keep it Up: Students must keep a beach ball
from hitting the ground. Add two or three balls to make it even more fun.
Simon Says An oldie but a goody!
Movement Songs Sing a song with whole-body
movements such as, Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, Father Abraham,
Toe-Knee Chest-Nut, Shake Your Sillies Out (Raffie), Grand Old Duke of
York, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean etc.
Animal
Pretend Younger
children will enjoy pretending to be various animals (or even objects such
as lawn mowers or airplanes). Call out a few in sequence.
Would You Rather Ask a would you rather
question and have students show their choice by moving to one end of the
room or the other. Have a few kids share why. Here are 20 free Would You Rather Questions to
get you started.
Find it
Fast Call out a
color or other trait (something round, something made of wood), and
students must find an object in the room that fits the trait and get to it
quickly.
Physical
Challenges Challenge
students to do something physically difficult such as standing on one foot
with arms extended or this one: grab your nose with left hand and grab
your left earlobe with your right hand,then quickly switch so that your
right hand is on your nose and your left hand is grabbing your right
earlobe. Yoga poses could also be a good variation.
Plates Give each student a paper
plate. Students must walk around the room balancing the plates on their
heads. If a student drops his or her plate, the student must freeze until
another student picks it up and places it back on the student's head
(while keep his or her own plate in place, of course).
Line Up! Have students line up using
a specific criteria such as age (use day and month, not just year),
height, alphabetically by middle name, hair length, etc.
Limbo All you need is a long stick
and a pair of kids to hold it. Music is nice too.
Human Knot Divide students into groups of
about eight students. Have students each grab right hands with someone who
is not directly next to them. Then do the same with left hands. The
challenge is to untangle and become a circle without releasing
hands.
Jump Skip
Counting Have
students count by twos, fives, tens etc. while jumping with each count.
You could also practice spelling words this way.
Please note that I did
not come up with all of these out of my own head. Here are some of the sources
I used:
Michigan
Department of Education: Brain
Breaks(great resource!)
