Today I'd like to share with you all my thoughts on one of my favourite books: Carol Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Recommended to me by my father as a book that would help me personally in my growth as a student, I've come to apply it to my own educational pedagogy.
The basic premise of Mindset is that most people fall into one of two categories: fixed mindset and growth mindset. Those with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence, creativity, and so on exist in fixed quantities. An incorrect answer or obvious question is proving them unintelligent, and being accurate proves their smarts. However, a growth mindset individual believes that all these are fluid, and being wrong provides an opportunity for learning and growth.
For an extended period of my life, I was absolutely fixed mindset. However, reading this book led me to confront the way that I approached my education and lived my life. Slowly but surely, over the last few years, I have moved more toward a growth mindset. Included in Dweck's book is a chapter on applying mindsets as an educator, which became quite apt for me as I declared my major in education. Later books and articles that I read in my coursework reinforced her ideas, encouraging teachers to move away from the role of the one who holds all the knowledge, and the ability to tell students whether they are right or wrong.
Overall, I absolutely adore this book, and I feel that every educator, parent, coach, and manager should read it. The principles Dweck lays out are applicable in a variety of settings, including for education and personal growth.
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Currently reading: fourth book of Game of Thrones!
Current high: back to school tomorrow
Current low: leaving my folks tonight :(
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