Teachers know that all students have the ability to learn. Even though teachers are their biggest cheerleaders, it can still be difficult to get students to believe in themselves. Luckily, there are strategies to help students develop a growth mindset. Teaching growth mindset strategies will help students face challenges with optimism and excitement instead of dread and resistance. Embracing a growth mindset can reshape the way students think. By guiding a student’s mindset transformation, you’re essentially guiding their life transformation. They will be able to use mindset strategies for the rest of their lives. These empowering tips will help you create a classroom of growth mindset in students.

What is a Growth Mindset?

There are two types of mindset—a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. A student with a growth mindset faces a challenge, and the emphasis is put on the process more than the outcome. Students with a growth mindset also tend to believe that there is no limit to how much they can learn. When a student has a fixed mindset, it is essentially the opposite. Students with a fixed mindset focus more on the outcome and feel that they will never do better or improve.

A fixed mindset can be transformed into a growth mindset with the proper strategies. You can foster a growth mindset classroom by being intentional and adding growth mindset strategies to your classroom routine. Thankfully, there are several tips below that you can use to develop a growth mindset in students and yourself.

Strategy #1: Using the Power of Yet

Start the year by letting your students know how important the word “yet” will be. They don’t know all the math facts, spelling words, science, and social studies concepts..YET. Using the word “yet” will flip learning expectations right away and will help foster a growth mindset in students all year long.

Teachers know how often students use the words, “I can’t.” This is typical of a fixed mindset. Remind students that an “I can’t” statement, should always be followed with the word “yet.” This reminds students to focus on the learning process instead of just the outcome. Honestly, giving students a safe place to fail will set them up for success in the future. Character education lessons are also a great way to boost student mindset.

Showing empathy to the learning challenges students face, will allow them to have an open mind when tackling difficult challenges in the future.

Strategy #2: Plant Encouragement Everywhere

In a growth mindset classroom, offering encouragement is essential. Encouragement fuels students’ belief in their potential with a resilient spirit. Luckily, you can easily add inspiring words to your classroom with encouraging posters. Encouraging or motivational posters are perfect for displaying around the classroom. These posters can “flip” the messages that students read.

For example, instead of hanging “rules” posters all over the classroom, flip the message with Motivational Mindset Posters. These growth mindset posters will foster an environment of positivity and perseverance. As students begin to approach learning with a growth mindset, you will also notice the community of your classroom start to change. These visual reminders are a great way to reinforce a growth mindset in students.

How to Use Motivational Posters in the Classroom

1. Use the motivational posters as part of your morning meeting discussion. Have a student choose a growth mindset poster to read to the class. Then, ask students to take turns discussing the meaning of the saying or quote. It’s a great way to get your students in the habit of thinking about the message of a text.
2. Include a motivational message in your class morning work. Use it as a grammar activity to identify prefixes, suffixes, pronouns, verbs, nouns, etc. The possibilities are endless.
3. Finish the sentence. Include part of the motivational phrase and ask students to fill in the rest. This is a fun activity for students to share with their peers because there can be some really silly sentences created.

Honestly, no matter how you use motivational posters in your classroom, they will help you foster a growth mindset mentality in your students.

Strategy #3: Be a Role Model for Growth Mindset

Just like students, adults sometimes forget how important it is to have a growth mindset. Don’t be afraid to share your challenges and mistakes with your students. Students need to know that they can also have a growth mindset and learn from your challenges even though you are an adult. Start by asking students to identify what you could have done differently. Doing this will help your students switch from a fixed mindset thinking process to a mindset of growth. They will be able to see the learning process play out, and you might also gain insight into how your can better support them in the classroom. Modeling a mistake as a learning experience and sharing it with students is the perfect way to foster a growth mindset.

Also, there is nothing wrong with developing a growth mindset for yourself! Just like your students, it’s important to give yourself permission to fail. Sometimes as teachers, we forget that we are ALWAYS learning too! Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran, you can develop a growth mindset for yourself.

Find things that motivate you to have a positive mindset while teaching. Using motivational classroom decor doesn’t have to be limited to just students. Hanging up inspiring Teacher Quotes Posters around your desk will remind you just how amazing you are!

Strategy #4: Set Your Own Growth Mindset Goals

Having a growth mindset isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. A growth mindset is learned. Begin by setting some easy-to-achieve goals for yourself. Here are some ideas you can easily implement:

1. Add “yet” to your vocabulary. Sometimes as teachers, we get comfortable with our way of doing things. So, when we are presented with something new, like a new style of teaching math, it’s easy for our first reaction to be one of annoyance and maybe even fear. Instead of building up your anxiety, remind yourself that you don’t know it YET, but after some practice, you will.

2. Celebrate your growth by writing down some new things you learn each month on your calendar. At the end of the year, take some time to go back and look at all of the amazing new things you have learned. You might be surprised!

3. Don’t be afraid to take on some new challenges. Maybe there is a lesson plan you have been hesitant about teaching because you aren’t sure if it will be successful or not. Take the growth mindset leap and remind yourself that the challenge is where the learning is. Better yet, let your students know about this new activity and tackle it together.

Just as developing a growth mindset in students takes time, it takes time for adults as well. Essentially, you are changing your thinking patterns. This takes time, but you can do it. Be sure to give yourself a lot of grace when making this mental shift. Eventually, thinking with a mindset of growth will be like second nature for you.

Mastering a Growth Mindset

Learning something new takes time and practice, especially when it is mental. The number one thing to remember is to be patient with your students and yourself as you work towards your growth mindset goals. Focus on the small steps you can take each day. As you put them into practice and reinforce them, they will soon become the new normal. After doing this again and again, you can look back and see that all those baby steps lead to some big changes. You will love watching the growth mindset in students develop throughout the year.

These colorful and motivational classroom posters are a great way to add visual reminders and encouragement to the classroom environment. Strategically use your classroom space and let the posters speak for you. Incorporating these growth mindset strategies will foster a positive learning environment and create a growth mindset in students.

Save these strategies!

Be sure to save this blog to your favorite Pinterest teacher board. You will be able to come back later when you are ready to implement some of the strategies for developing a growth mindset in students.