Tapping into Potential: Developing a
Culture That Supports a Growth Mindset
and Fosters Perseverence in Mathematics
Beth Schefelker, Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
Connie Laughlin, UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee WI
Melissa Hedges, Mequon-Thiensville School
District, Mequon WI
National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics
Annual Meeting
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Path that led us here…
Current brain research (Sousa)
 Learning Intention and Success Criteria
(Clarke)
 Formative assessment principles
(Wiggins)
 Cognitive demand (Smith, et al)
 CCSSM – focus and coherence

Learning Intentions & Success Criteria
We are learning to…
 Understand the characteristics of fixed and growth
mindsets.
 Connect growth mindsets to the Standards for
Mathematics Practice
We will know we are successful when we can…
 Identify how rich mathematical tasks support and
promote a culture for growth mindset and an
implementation of the Standards for Mathematical
Practice.
Agenda

What are Mindsets?
Why foster a Growth Mindset?
 Creating a Culture of Risk Taking
 Building a Growth Mindset

Linking Mindsets to CCSSM Standards
for Mathematical Practice
 Examining a Mathematical Task and
Student Work

What are Mindsets?
Mindsets are the assumptions, expectations and
beliefs that guide our behavior and our
interactions with others.
Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their
intelligence is simply an inborn trait—they have a
certain amount, and that's that.
Individuals with a growth mindset believe that
they can develop their intelligence over time.
Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 1999, 2007
Why Foster a Growth Mindset?
Fixed Mindset
Growth Mindset
Value looking smart above all
else, and avoid situations
where they could risk
performing poorly
View challenging work as an
opportunity to learn and grow.
“I love a challenge."
Do not like effort. Students
believe that if you have ability,
everything should come
naturally.
Value effort; students realize
that even geniuses have to
work hard to develop their
abilities and make their
contributions.
Tend not to handle setbacks
well.
More likely to respond to initial
obstacles by remaining
involved and trying new
strategies
Dweck, C. 2010
Creating a Culture of Risk Taking

Provide the right kinds of praise and encouragement.
 Praise students for the process they have engaged in
 The effort they applied
 The strategies they used
 The choices they made
 The persistence they displayed

Emphasize that fast learning is not always the deepest and
best learning.

Teach students to recognize the different mindsets.
Dweck, C. 2010
Building a Growth Mindset

Emphasize Challenge, Not "Success"

Give a Sense of Progress
Meaningful learning tasks give students a clear sense of progress
leading to mastery.
Use formative assessment strategies
Use Pre/post tests
Provide descriptive feedback

Grade for Growth
Dweck, C. 2010
In summary…
Fixed Mindsets
Intelligence is static
Growth Mindsets
Intelligence can be developed
Avoid challenges
Embrace challenges
When faced with obstacles, get
defensive or give up easily
When faced with obstacles,
persist in the face of the
obstacles.
See effort as fruitless or worse
See effort as the path to mastery
Ignore useful descriptive feedback
Learn from descriptive feedback
Feel threatened by the success of
others
Find lessons and inspiration in the
success of others
Growth mindsets lead to the love of
challenge, belief in effort, resilience in
the face of setbacks, and greater (more
creative) success.
--Dweck, C. (2008)
Does this sound familiar?
Standards for Mathematical
Practice 1 and 2
SMP 1 - Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them.
SM2 – Reason abstractly and
quantitatively.
What are the links between SMP1, SMP2
and Growth Mindsets?
Let’s do some math
Grace Ben and Maya were the top three
winners in a math contest. They shared
a cash prize in the ratio of 1:4:5. Maya
received $40. How much more money
did Ben receive than Grace?
Share your thinking with a neighbor.
Listening to Students
8th Grade Pre-Algebra
Insert Jing
Refer to your notes on SMP1 & 2 and
Growth Mindsets.
How were these evidenced in the
student thinking?
The Language of Growth Mindsets

‘Well done. You are learning to…..’
‘I can’ statements become ‘I am learning to….’
 ‘I’m really pleased you tried at that.’
 ‘That’s fantastic. I liked the way you…..’
 ‘That’s skilful.’
 ‘What are you most proud of?’
 ‘What is a good learner?’
 ‘How are you more successful with this skill than
before?’
 ‘This is what we did before. What more can you do
now?’

Dweck, C. 2010
Mindset Change
Mindset change is not about picking up a
few pointers here and there. It is about
seeing things in a new way…it takes a
commitment to growth and growth takes
plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.
--Dweck, C. (2008)
Mindsets change…
What people strive for and what they see
as success.
 The definition, significance, and the
impact of failure.
 They change the deepest meaning of
effort.

Dweck, C. 2010
Turn and Talk

What ideas from today’s session are
important to you?

What are your next steps as you think
about developing growth mindsets?
Thank You!
Beth Schefelker,
Mathematics Specialist, Milwaukee Public
Schools
[email protected]
Connie Laughlin,
Mathematics Consultant, UW-Milwaukee
[email protected]
Melissa Hedges,
K-8 Mathematics Specialist
Mequon-Thiensville School District
[email protected]