Book Snap #4 Lessons from the book

If the wrong kinds of praise lead kids down the path of entitlement, dependence, and fragility, maybe the right kinds of praise can lead them down the path of hard work and greater hardiness" (Dweck 137).


This was an Aha moment for me. I am rethinking my language of praise for everyone- my own children, my students, my friends, etc. The idea of praising effort and not ability is going to take some getting used to. I am so used to praising ability, and now I am making a conscious shift to praise effort. I think praising effort will help to unlock the growth mindset in my students that are afraid to fail and therefore do nothing. If they know I appreciate effort maybe they will start to take a risk in their fixed mindset and start to give more effort, and take a step toward the growth mindset. Some new phrases that I am going to start using:

I can tell you put forth a great deal of effort
Thank you for your effort and your willingness to share/ participate
I noticed how much effort you put into your work...

On page 42, it addresses the concept of "artistic brain" and a "writing brain." However, if we are willing to put the work in, we all have the ability to achieve success. Its the work ethic that is more important. At New Hartford, we have open enrollment for AP Classes and Honor's Classes. One of the reasons being is that if a student puts the work into the class, they can achieve success.

I have found the four reforms to be very helpful.  As a parent of a young child who will soon be starting school and at some point will be asking for his own electronics, these are definitely things to think about as we continue to raise him.  I also am so happy that our District has taken the initiative to put some restrictions on cell phone use amongst our students.  This has been a battle for several years in our classrooms and I'm happy to see the district take what we have said and implement the changes that they have!

Chapter 2 discussed the importance and need of STRUGGLE. Such a powerful concept. My key take away were that we should actually learn to love mistakes because that is where true growth can occur. “Highly effective learning described is the presence of mistakes and the role of struggle and error in transforming people from beginners to experts.” I plan to share this quote with my accelerated geometry class tomorrow. This is the space where they can experience true growth and learning! I reallyEnjoyed the visual on page 63 showing learning as a staircase and the learning pit on page 64. Although I agree wholeheartedly with the concepts in this chapter I think it will take constant practice and reframing to really ensure student buy in. 

These two chapters focus on the importance of discipline and the value of small actions.

Chapter 2:  You Can't Go It Alone

"None of us are immune from life's tragic moments.  Like the small rubber boat we had in basic SEAL training, it takes a team of good people to get you to your destination in life.  You cannot paddle the boat alone." page 21

emphasizes how small consistent habits can lead to a sense of accomplishment and set a positive tone for the day.  These small wins will help us tackle bigger challenges down the road.  Sometimes, you just have to ask for help.

Chapter 3:  Only The Size of Your Heart Matters

It doesn't matter how big you are because you can do big things if you set your heart and your mind to it.  This chapter talks about being resilient and stresses the importance of perseverance.  We should embrace our failures and use them as opportunities to learn and just keep moving forward.

Page 75

I loved this analogy about the author's puppy Wilma.  He talked about Wilma's experimenting to find the balance of joy and fear when walking the NYC streets and going to the dog park.  This quote stuck with me - " Kids and puppies are thrill seekers.  They are hungry for thrills, and they must get them if they are to overcome their childhood fears ....."  Once, again, I wish I wasn't as protective with my kids and did not try to keep them in a bubble.