As a parent and teacher candidate, some studies by psychologist Carol Dweck at Stanford continue to be a revelation to me about praising students or children. In my last blog (and here again) I post a YouTube video with Dr. Dweck-that explains very clearly this posting. Also, much of what I write about here is an attempt to describe a great 2007 article by Dr. Dweck in Scientific American Minds (Dweck, 2010; http://teambath.com/wp-content/uploads/Secret to Raising Smart Kids.pdf).
Everyone, especially parents like me, have told their children that we know that they are “smart enough” to do their schoolwork. However, it is more effective to praise them for effort, and that they continue to work at their studies. Children that were always told that they are smart--often will not take on challenges for fear of failing and not being comfortably ‘superior.’ For example, my own 10 year old, who sailed through until this year in fourth grade, because now he has to study and cannot just show up and pass the tests like he used to. He and I both know he’s smart enough, but now he needs to work and study more. And I’ve got a job to motivate him, but need a new angle:
What’s the alternative? Studies continue to show that students persist at a challenge if they know they need to work and put in extra effort. Now I say to my son, that he needs to put in effort, and when he aces a test, that he did a great job because he worked hard to get that result.
It turns out that this illustrates the two categories of learners. The “fixed” mindset arises from the attitude that IQ is fixed. The other, “growth” mindset has been coined for those learners who believe that they can increase their IQ by working at it. And studies confirm this. The brain is indeed a muscle that must be exercised—and can grow, literally.
Next time: Brainology from Dr. Dweck for classroom and home.
Further reading, but just stay tuned to this blog:
Dweck, Carol S. (2007 December). The secret to raising smart kids. Hint: Don't tell your kids that they are. More than three decades of research shows that a focus on effort—not on intelligence or ability—is key to success in school and in life. Scientific American Mind. http://teambath.com/wp-content/uploads/Secret to Raising Smart Kids.pdf. Accessed 7/22/10.
Bronson, Po (2007, Feb. 11 2007). How not to talk to your kids. The inverse power of praise. New York Magazine. http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/. Accessed 7/22/10.
Dweck, Carol S. (2007)"The Perils and Promises of Praise." Educational Leadership 65.2:34-39. Downloadable from ERIC
Dweck, Carol S. (1999). Caution--praise can be dangerous. American educator, 23(1), 4-9. http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring1999/index.cfm
Our brains are learning as we put effort in our environment. Research shows that people in different professions have different types of connections among neurons. An artist's brain is different than a scientist's brain. It is clear that both IQ and effort are important factors in learning. But attitude and emotion are also important. In mathematics, we hope to see kids develop an attitude to tackle a challenging problem even it takes weeks or months for them to solve it. R-J
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