The Growth Mindset Coach Review

The Growth Mindset Coach Review


By: Adam Lane, Principal, Haines City High School


 


Today, I would like to highlight a book titled: The Growth Mindset Coach (2016), by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley. Annie is a k-12 innovation specialist in Holton, Kansas and she is the author of three books: Introduction to Google Classroom, The Growth Mindset Coach and The Growth Mindset Playbook. Heather is a middle school principal in Kansas, and she is the co-author of the books: The Growth Mindset Coach and The Growth Mindset Playbook.  The Growth Mindset Coach is a great read for all educational leaders who are looking to transition the way their staff and students look at challenges, learn from them and make improvements.

 

The initial foundation of this book starts with understanding the difference between two powerful mindsets. A Fixed Mindset, which is the belief that we’re born with a fixed amount of intelligence and ability, which leads to avoiding challenges and failures, thereby blocking a life rich in experience and learning, compared to a Growth Mindset, which is the belief that with practice, perseverance and effort, people have limitless potential to learn and grow, thereby taking challenges, unconcerned with making mistakes, focusing instead on the process of growth. “All students in your class should believe that the work they’re doing every day has a purpose, and that purpose should drive them to put forth the effort required to master it.” (p.97).

 

I purchased this book for my staff members and organized monthly professional learning communities (PLC’s), where we made presentations and had discussions on different topics from the book. Teachers would assume ownership of certain chapters, present to their peers and facilitate discussions. It is extremely beneficial to organize these book studies, as the growth mindset and learning process might look different from one subject area to another. “The most memorable and influential teachers were the ones who pushed and challenged their students.  These teachers made learning accessible and valued and emphasized the process of learning, not just the outcome.” (p.23). I can state that after this three-month book study, our teachers focused more on the experience of learning and making progress, while still considering the final expectation and meeting the standard.

 

I appreciate you, believe in you and thank you! Adam Lane - Principal - Haines City High School

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

111 Points to an “A”: A Student Achievement Success Story Emphasizing When Student Learning is Prioritized, Results Come

Image
111 Points to an “A”: A Student Achievement Success Story Emphasizing When Student Learning is Prioritized, Results Come by Heidi L. Keegan, M. Ed Principal Charlotte County Public Schools The ultimate goal of any educational leader is to ensure that their students achieve academic success. To do so, they must prioritize student learning through leadership actions that build and support a learning organization focused on student achievement. Below are the steps taken by an elementary school principal—and her team of educators—that led to increasing the school’s letter grade to just 10 points shy of an “A”, despite being 100% Title I and the challenges of a pandemic. Step 1: Make Sure EVERYONE Knows the Goal(s) I mean EVERYONE. Exceptional educational leaders will analyze trend data, look at growth and proficiency, and acknowledge strengths and gaps in achievement. They will dissect details for subgroups, study cohorts, and collaborate with teacher leaders to set goals. None of this wil...
Read more

HAVE, DO, BE: A Shared Visioning Activity for School Leaders

Image
HAVE, DO, BE: A Shared Visioning Activity for School Leaders Have you been hired as the new principal? Are you thinking making an adjustment to your school’s vision and mission? This cooperative process can assist you in ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to share in what they want your school to acquire, to accomplish, and to be acknowledged for. Four years ago, I stepped into a building that had just undergone the Differentiated Accountability (DA) process with the State and had lost approximately half the Staff, due to related stressors. With the new school letter grade designation of a “B” from the previous year’s “D”, it was time for our school to rebrand itself! I gathered the Staff to meet in our media center during the preservice week, with a goal of learning about how the staff felt about the school. The dedicated employees that remained, after the mass exodus, had much to say about how they were tired of being “looked down upon”, as they worked hard...
Read more

My Name Is Jessica, But I Could Be Any Student

Image
  My Name Is Jessica, But I Could Be Any Student By Myles Cooley, Ph.D., ABPP My name is Jessica, but it could be Raul, Dashieka, or Jonathan. I’m ten years old and in the fifth grade. I think I’m more than shy. I won’t raise my hand in class. I’m worried the teacher will call on me, so I don’t look at her. I hate it when I have to walk to the front of the class to give a report. Everyone’s looking at me. I hate to think what they’re thinking about me. When I give the report, my hands and voice are shaking. It seems like forever until I can go back to my seat. Actually, other kids seem to think I’m pretty smart. But when we go to lunch, recess, or PE, I don’t know what to say to them. They’re all joking around, and I’m totally quiet. When I think of something I could say, I think it might be stupid, so I don’t say anything. I wish my teachers understood how nervous I am. I wish they understood that my behavior means I might have social anxiety disorder. If they understood me, maybe...
Read more