A mindset is a base to set limits for an individual. Mindset means expectations or assumptions one has about themselves. It determines the commitment to any task, and there are two types of mindsets. A growth mindset and fixed mindset help understand the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence.

As teachers, you have to cultivate the right mindset in children. You have to start by training your mind first as you will be the role model for students. Set yourself as an example! Schools in Chennai like Babaji Vidhyashram School train educators to inculcate the best mindset amongst students. Keep reading to know how mindset impacts the learning process.

Science Behind Mindset

Neuroscience proves that our brain is more malleable, and neuron connectivity changes with experience. Our neural networks build insulation and grow new connections with sustained practice. This speeds the impulse transmission. People with a fixed mindset develop intellectually but believe that there is a limit to the amount they learn. On the other hand, a growth mindset will make people believe that they can get smarter by developing their abilities and talents. People with a growth mindset put more effort into any task with persistence.

Nobody is aware of their own mindset. A mindset becomes evident only when one faces failures and setbacks in life. A student who has a fixed mindset will dread failure. They consider it as a negative statement pointed to their abilities. At the same time, students with a growth mindset do not mind failure. They believe that they can improve themselves from failure with learning and focused performance.

Role of Teachers in Fostering a Growth Mindset

Equip yourself with a growth mindset and then try shifting students’ mindsets to increase motivation. Adapt your teaching method and style, making them aspire to achieve more. Provide feedback about their capabilities and skills, which will influence them positively. For instance, if you keep telling children that they are intelligent, it will become a fixed mindset. On the contrary, if you praise them for their efforts, it will inculcate a growth mindset.

A growth mindset is essential because it helps students learn from setbacks and take up new challenges. Eventually, it increases students’ capabilities and makes them reach for the stars. Provide a makerspace and allow children to change their mindset through sustained practice. You can creatively make a makerspace with available resources to suit the classroom’s needs.

What is Makerspace? 

A makerspace is a collaborative environment for learning, making, exploring, and sharing. It can be anywhere inside a school’s facility using high-tech or no tech tools. A few of the most common equipment in a makerspace includes laser cutters, soldering irons, 3D printers, sewing, and CNC machines. This space is open to everyone and does not essentially have to be highly equipped. Even art supplies and cardboard will do the job. International village school IB board schools in Chennai encourage students to create a makerspace at their homes. What a student creates in a makerspace is related to their mindset. They can either explore their interests or create something out of nothing. Makerspace helps with:

• Improving critical thinking skills
• Boosting self-confidence
• Preparing to specialize in a technology

The Takeaway

The most important aspect of learning is to acquire knowledge through challenging activities. It is the learning challenges that will develop a growth mindset in students. Schools should try to create activities that will change students’ brain plasticity. The end goal should be to make them advance into individuals with a growth mindset. Thus, make use of makerspace activities on the go and introduce them frequently by clubbing with the academic curriculum.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2022