2. 1. Praising students for the learning
process they engage in:
By praising the process students engage in, Mrs J. fosters a culture within the
classroom where ‘experiencing difficulty’ is not perceived as an indication
that you are ‘not smart’.
In contrast, it promotes perseverance, persistence and exerting effort in
order to improve, which essentially cultivates resilience and the “can-do”
attitude promoted by the SSL vision.
As Fraser (2016) states: “…if the emphasis is upon effort and attitude, the
students are more likely to persist in their learning and regard themselves as
capable of improvement” (p.14).
3. Key Example: Measurement Problem:
During the second week, Mrs J set a measurement challenge:
Students were encouraged to attempt calculating the height of a giant when
given the measurement of his footprint, as well as the clue that there might
be a relationship between the length of one’s feet size and height.
One student took a very creative approach to this, measuring his own feet
size, then from his feet to his knee, knee to waist, waist to elbow, elbow
to shoulder and shoulder to head, adding these measurements together.
However, he did not account for the difference in these dimensions
between himself and the giant (ie. Thinking that the giant’s feet are twice
as big and thus, the other dimensions may be twice his own
measurements). Instead of telling this student that his calculation was
faulty, Mrs J praised him for thinking outside of the square and encouraged
him to build on this idea by considering the changes in dimensions
between himself and the giant in order to “stretch his brain”.
4. 2. Learning how to learn:
Mrs J is involving students in an inquiry on the brain, which explores the
different parts and functions of the brain, the way in which new learning
occurs and how new pathways are formed.
This is in alignment with the NZ curriculum principle of ‘learning to learn’, as
well as the value of inquiry, which includes critical thinking and reflection
(MOE, 2006).
This has provided the opportunity to introduce students to the Learning Pit
video:
https://vimeo.com/117364809
5. 3. Encouraging risk taking:
This is done through the creation of a safe classroom culture, where students
feel comfortable to take risks.
Mrs J constantly emphasising that mistakes are okay, because it is through
mistakes that we learn.
Mrs J reinforcing that it is okay if they do not know the answer.
For example:
During the first week, Mrs J encouraged the whole class to practice saying: “I
don’t know” out loud, following which she explained the reason for this being
that not knowing the right answer means there is something we can learn.
6. Reflection:
Through these strategies, Mrs J. is creating a classroom culture where taking
risks and making mistakes are both valued, because they are essential for
learning.
Mrs J’s practice aligns well with the ways in which Dweck proposes a growth
mindset can be fostered by teachers (Dweck, 2006).
Essentially, when a growth mindset becomes prominent within the classroom,
students actively seek out learning and consequently they are more honest
during self-assessment of their weaknesses, as they are striving to develop
and improve these areas (Dweck, 2006).
7. As is evident in the images below depicting the
class’s brainstorming, these key ideas have
already been adopted by students:
