The Power of "Yet" and Growth Mindset

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The word “yet” is such a powerful tool that is not utilized as much as it should be. Saying “not yet” helps everyone, adults and children alike, know that even when facing difficult obstacles, they are simply steps along the way that we will eventually pass even if it takes some time. I use “yet” in my classroom everytime I introduce something new. For children, not knowing can be dreadful because they want to succeed but as educators we should teach them that everything we don't know is simply something we haven't learned YET. We are lifelong learners, there will always be something we do not know YET.

Adopting a growth mindset allows us to embrace the learning rather than be afraid of the unknown. We will always face challenges, but it is how we perceive them that will determine how successful we will be. If we focus so much on the end grade rather than actually embracing the learning, then what do we actually get out of going to school? I think our students are so focused on the grade at the end of the day, that if they receive a bad grade they accept things like being “bad at math” or “bad at reading.” A growth mindset would allow students to accept the grade as feedback but also know that it is something they can/will improve. Many students take their grade as a definition of their intelligence rather than something they can improve one. As teachers, we must be the ones to tell them that the grade they earned on their test is a starting point for greater things and a bad grade doesn’t define you.

References

Dweck, Carol. [Stanford Alumni]. (2014, October 9). Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ&t=4s

Briceño, Eduardo. [TEDx Talks]. (2012, November 18). The power of faith: mindset and success | Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc&t=1s