![]() One time my sister took me to a park and I saw people playing basketball. One student named Alejandro chose to reflect on basketball and the persistence and time it took him to learn:īeing good takes time. In my experience, students are motivated to do this assignment because it helps them feel that their personal stories and emotions truly matter, despite how their other academics are going. This peer editing builds their resilience in more ways than one-they make connections with each other by learning about each other’s lives, and they feel empowered by lending a hand. They learn to include the juicy details of their stories (who, what, when, where, why, and how), and they get help from their peers, who ask follow-up questions to prompt them to include more information. Neurons in the brain release the feel-good chemical dopamine, which plays a major role in motivating behavior toward rewards.Īfter writing about a few different personal topics, students choose one they want to publish on the bulletin boards at the back of the classroom. We know from research in neuroplasticity that when students take baby steps to achieve a goal and take pride in their accomplishments, they change their brains, growing new neural networks and fortifying existing ones. They may have been reading three or four grade levels behind, but they could slap a PowerPoint presentation together in their sleep.įor students, sharing their own stories of bravery, resilience, and determination brings these qualities to the forefront of their minds and helps solidify the belief that underlies a growth mindset: I can improve and grow. By admitting my deficiency to my students, asking for their help, and choosing to see the opportunity to remedy it every day in the classroom, I aimed to level the playing field with them. I confided that PowerPoint and Google Slides-tools (one might assume) that any teacher worth a paperweight has mastered-still eluded me. I primed the pump by telling my students about something I struggled with-feeling left behind in staff meetings as my colleagues clicked their way through various computer applications. Some of the themes students explore include finally solving math problems, learning how to defend themselves, or having difficult conversations with parents. One exercise I find very useful is to have students write a story about a time when they persevered when faced with a challenge-in class, sports, or a relationship. A growth mindset goes hand in hand with self-compassion: recognizing that everyone struggles and treating ourselves with kindness when we trip up. Carol Dweck, Stanford University professor of psychology and author of the book Mindset, explains that people with a growth mindset focus on learning from mistakes and welcoming challenges rather than thinking they’re doomed to be dumb or unskillful. One of the ways students can boost their academic performance and develop resilience is by building a growth mindset. Fostering a growth mindsetīe curious about others, yourself, and the world this month In this kind of classroom community, they can take the necessary risks in order to learn, and they become more resilient when they stumble. Students realize that nobody is perfect and nobody’s life is perfect. Creating a safe, respectful environment in which students’ stories matter invites the disengaged, the hopeless, and the numb to open up. ![]() One of the best ways I’ve found to connect with my students, while also nurturing their reading and writing skills, is through creative writing.įor the past three years, I’ve invited students in my English Language Development (ELD) classes to observe their thoughts, sit with their emotions, and offer themselves and each other compassion through writing and sharing about their struggles. ![]() We need to communicate that we care and that we welcome them into the classroom just as they are. ![]() To help traumatized students overcome their personal and academic challenges, one of our first jobs as teachers is to build a sense of community. ![]()
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