Blog #6 Lindsay Smith

 Encouraging a Growth Mindset

In my Internship in a special education elementary classroom fostering a growth mindset is really important. Many students face challenges that can make learning overwhelming so having the right support that they can achieve hard things with effort, a positive outlook and perseverance is crucial. In my mentors classroom she is very intentional about helping students embrace challenges and recognize their own progress. her goal is to create an environment where students feel safe to try and grow.


 The Power of Yet 

One strategy that we have discussed in class is also one that my mentor uses which is the idea that just because they cant do something now doesn't mean they wont or never will. Instead of letting students say "i cant" she encourages them to say "i cant yet" She talks about how their learning is a process not an endpoint

Embracing Mistakes, Challenges, and Growth

developing a growth mindset means helping students see their mistakes as learning opportunities and how their progress is also something just as awesome to celebrate, especially in special education where goals and such may look different. When her students make mistakes she doesn't correct them but instead tries to engage their thinking process. She asks a lot of guiding questions, scaffolds their understanding and tries to revisit concepts in new ways to get them to think differently. She wants them to see their mistakes as being one step closer to getting it. To help enforce this she makes it so they see and know their own progress. 

Even at a young age she talks them through how they are doing and celebrates the small stuff so they recognize their own growth and see how far they have come. This builds confidence and skills they will carry on with them. Tracking progress with students is especially important in special education, as they will have IEPs and meetings throughout their academic journey. Involving them in this process from a young age helps them develop self-awareness, advocacy skills, and an understanding of their own growth. they are learning to take ownership of their learning which is an essential skill for their future success and molding that growth mindset early on.

Creating a Growth Mindset in My Future Classroom

- Normalize mistakes as part of learning 

- Encourage students to use yet to reframe challenges in a positive way.

- Provide opportunities for self-reflection so students can see their own progress.

- Recognize and celebrate effort, not just outcomes.

One piece of advice from my mentor that stands out was recognize effort when it’s hard. Recognize resilience when it’s hard. Recognize disabilities as abilities. By fostering a classroom culture that values persistence and progress, I want students believe in themselves and their ability to grow both in and beyond the classroom.




  

Comments

  1. Professor CaloMarch 31, 2025 at 1:46 PM

    Love that you’ve seen how your mentor focuses on learning as a process, not an endpoint. That’s awesome that you’ve seen how she asks questions and guides students to unpack their thinking and scaffold their understanding of key concepts. Love your ideas for your future classroom. And this is a really powerful statement!! “One piece of advice from my mentor that stands out was recognize effort when it’s hard. Recognize resilience when it’s hard. Recognize disabilities as abilities. By fostering a classroom culture that values persistence and progress, I want students believe in themselves and their ability to grow both in and beyond the classroom.” Powerful!!

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