When I first developed my Growth Mindset Plan early on in my journey through the ADL program at Lamar University, I did not anticipate the role it would play in my Innovation Plan. Originally opting to record a voice over of a PP, I felt as though being able to verbalize would be more powerful for viewers and perhaps more engaging and appealing to those looking to learn. With that said, I still align quite closely with this belief and with the majority of what I discussed within my presentation, however, I feel there are some new beliefs that I have developed that can also connect to my plan that I'd like to have in writing.

​

The audience I originally directed my plan to was not defined, but rather kept open-ended intentionally so it could appeal to anyone and everyone. Now that I have learned more about creating significant learning environments, my focus is going to be more directed to the students in my classroom and less towards my co-workers and peers, although they can most certainly still relate. The first thing I want to hit on is the value of understanding and flexibility within learning. As I venture through my Innovation Plan of effectively utilizing blended learning in my classroom, I am noticing the importance of understanding the different backgrounds that students are entering my classroom with and accepting the idea that they may not have the foundation that I once thought they should enter with, but that is okay. It is okay to have variety, in fact, it is a good thing. And with my blended learning modeling, I will be able to cater to just that with the flexibility that I'll be awarded. The transition to something new of this sort is a process, just as the growth mindset models. Students and teachers alike must be willing to zoom out and see the big picture.

​

Again, staying in line with zeroing in on my students, there is a overarching desire for perfection in some of my higher level classes, but the learning is pushed to the side. The focus is about the GPA, the class rank, the number of AP courses, but not about the ability to analyze, apply, and synthesize the learned content. With my school's Second Change Learning (SCL) initiative, the growth mindset can be at the forefront. SCL is not awarded to students because they did not score a 96% or because they made minor computational mistakes. The power of SCL goes hand-in-hand with the power of yet. The mastery of a concept had not occurred yet. In other words, I learned, I practiced, I thought I had it, but turns out I just didn't, and THAT IS OKAY. That is the power of yet, the power of one day being able to self-assess, self-evaluate, and self-reflect. These learned skills will be so much more valuable in the long run than scoring the 100% on the Algebra 2 test.

​

As a mathematics teacher during hybrid teaching, we saw an unbelievably sizable influx in cheating, as students were not in the classroom being watched when doing assessments. Students found countless resources that solved equations or did any type of math they could imagine for them. With that said, they are now paying for it. As the world gets back to normal, students too are having the recalibrate their learning. This cheating did not consider the power of the yet or the influence of struggle. It disregarded the deeper understanding of content and the idea of the learning process being fluid and based around feedback. However, I tend to see it as a learning experience for these young learners and an opportunity to grow as individuals. Although cheating is obviously not encouraged, resourcefulness comes to mind. And as much as it pains me to say this, taking advantage of the resources that are available to them shows the ability that students have to discover. (Again, I am not condoning cheating in any which way).

​

When backed in a corner, we all react in different ways. Whether that corner is having to learning from home while watching class via a webcam in the classroom with minimal opportunity to collaborate with peers, or being back in school now trying to make up for the deficits some students created for themselves. Both cases are a time for reflection and an opportunity to display grit and overcome natural obstacles, which is where we learn best. 

 

In my eyes, the growth mindset has a different definition for each individual, but I feel that it is my duty to educate my students on it and to model the behavior of a growth mindset. Although the meta-analysis at Case Western Reserve University did not show any significant impact done by the growth mindset, I believe there are certain things data cannot measure, and this could be one of them. As a statistics teacher, I cannot help but think of the lurking and conforming variables that could come into play when completing this study. But as a person and as an educational leader, I see each and every day the power that a "not yet" mindset can have on children both inside and outside of the classroom.

 

As the facilitator in the room, I have the unique opportunity to be primarily the center of attention if I choose. By modeling vulnerability, trying new things in the classroom, and being transparent, students will be exposed to something different than the typical mathematics class. They will see the power of reflection as we embark collectively to achieve goals and take note of the learning process in addition to the end result. It is one thing to develop new growth mindset when learning in the classroom, but it is another thing to be able apply it to your person as a whole. The growth mindset must go beyond the classroom walls and consistently be reflected upon and refined to truly reach its potential. 
 

Gr