When my son encountered school work that he did not want to do, like writing, I would tell him he is smart and that he could do it. I thought by praising him I would build his self-esteem and as a result he would try hard and put in the effort needed to do something he did not want to do. What I realized quickly, as I am sure many parents have experienced, is that my efforts were all in vain. Nothing I said made a difference and he was refusing to do his writing either at home or in school.
This summer I had the opportunity to read a book that has changed the way I approach my son. The book is titled Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck. What I learned through reading this book is that over the years my constant efforts to tell him he was smart was actually having a negative effect. His interpretation of being "smart" is that things should come easy. Encountering things that were difficult or challenging were actually a blow to his self esteem. He would rather avoid difficult work than have it serve as a reminder that he is not as "smart" as I was telling him he was.
Armed with this new information I have changed what I do. I have begun to praise his effort. I continue to tell him he is smart and has ability but I have talked to him about the fact that his brain actually grows stronger, like his muscles, when he engages in work that is challenging. I have talked to him about the fact that everyone who has accomplished anything worthwhile has done so through hard work. It is true that some people have innate ability, but what separates those who achieve, from those who struggle actually has very little to do with ability, but much more to do with effort and hard work......and it has been working!
This year as a staff we have committed to encourage the Growth Mindset in our students and we would like to encourage you to do the same at home. We will be talking about the Growth Mindset as the year progresses and we would like to challenge you to learn more about the Growth Mindset and please help us encourage hard work at home.
Did you know that studies have actually shown that students who are praised for their effort outperform students who are praised for being smart? PLEASE take a moment to read these great articles about the Growth Mindset found below.
The Perils and Promise of Praise
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct07/vol65/num02/The-Perils-and-Promises-of-Praise.aspx
How Not to Talk to Your Kids
http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/
Golden Broom Award!!
Attendance
Please help us encourage good student attendance. Students can't do well in school if they aren't coming to school. We will be awarding our Perfect Attendance Bead for all students who have perfect attendance for the first two months. We also have an exciting contest for all students with perfect attendance during the month of September.....read the flyer below!
Breakfast
One of the most important ways for a student to start their day is by eating a healthy breakfast! Did you know that any student can buy breakfast in at HBB in the morning? This year we have allowed time at the start of the day for students to go to the cafeteria to get breakfast and we would like to encourage parents to consider this opportunity. If you are interested in more information please give us a call!
Safe to School
Please remember to call the Safe to School number whenever you know your child will be absent! The Safe to School number is (508) 946-8871. Thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.