Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing
still. ~ Chinese Proverb
I recently watched a short TED
video in which Carol Dweck was speaking. (If you are interested you can watch
the video here: https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve#t-18800)
If you don’t know Carol Dweck, she is the researcher
who coined the “growth mindset.” In this
video she started by speaking about a school where when students did not pass a
course, the grade they received was “not yet.”
In schools we grade our students on their work, but what do those grades
truly mean to students. The words “not
yet,” truly resonated with me. If we want
students to strive and keep trying, we need to encourage them. We need to praise wisely. Praising and rewarding the process and the
effort they have put forth not the end product.
No, they may not have mastered the concept this particular time, but that
doesn’t mean mastery is not yet to come.
Using simple words like not yet help children see acquiring knowledge is
a process and not an event. It also
helps them know that just because they didn’t get it the first time doesn’t
mean it won’t happen. Try using those
words in your home and see if they make a difference!
Last week our students participated in our annual Veterans’
Day programs. Our 3rd and 5th
grade students had the opportunity to perform both the National Anthem and
America the Beautiful. Gigi (1st),
Adriana (1st), Luke (3rd), and Ellie (5th)
impressed us all with their recitations of The Gettysburg Address. Thank you to my kindergarten and first grade
helpers, who passed out flags to Veterans at the programs. We were honored to have family members attend
our programs and hope the Veterans in attendance felt our heart-felt thanks for
their service to our country.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Baier
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