We want students to become independent learners that intrinsically are motivated to grow. We can do this by helping them to fill their “toolbox” of skills so that they can ultimately succeed for themselves. By intentionally brainstorming with students what a growth mindset looks like at the beginning of the year, coming up with a game plan for when they feel like they’ve “failed” (or maybe they really have failed!), and one-on-one conferencing with students to provide them personal feedback they can acquire the skills they need to learn in a student-centered environment.

A growth-minded environment is intentional and students should be taught the ability to hear their own voices. Students need to be equipped to hear their fixed mindset, recognize that they do not have to listen to this voice, and move toward a growth-minded action. As their facilitator, I have to provide them feedback that is constructive to this growth mindset as well as helps them to recognize what actions can be growth-minded. Giving them simple questions as they reflect on their feedback can be powerful: What have you learned? What areas have you improved in? What skills do you have today that you didn’t have yesterday? What steps can you take to improve? These questions provide a catalyst for growth.

Ultimately, I have the responsibility to create a learning environment that harbors growth. Designing significant learning environments provides this opportunity for students. When students have the “end in mind” and understand the learning objectives, they have ways to tangibly understand their personal growth. Using a constructivist’s approach to learning means that the learning process is never done and that learners are always evolving their understanding. Using Fink’s alignment of outcomes, assessment, and activities and Understanding by Design puts all students in a position to succeed and grow because no one is in a position where they can say “I know-it-all.” Designing significant learning environments provides purposeful engagement that develops the learner and “because they think in terms of learning, people with the growth mindset are clued into all the different ways to create learning” (Dweck 62). A growth-minded approach allows students to think in terms of learning and development of understanding instead of percentages and grades as the end-all, be-all.

Check out my work on significant learning environments here:

My significant Learning Environment