Leading Mindset PD

I was recently asked to lead two one-hour PD sessions on the growth mindset for Mahar teachers. Last week a colleague joined me in presenting these workshops to about a dozen teachers. We summarized the main points of Mindset in the Classroom and led an activity that illustrates how learning happens in the brain. We attached images of neurons to four teachers and asked them to share something they have recently learned. We then connected them with a thread, explaining that the memory will only be short term unless they work with that new information somehow. As they write it down and speak it, stronger connections are made between those neurons. At this point we replaced the thread with a string. As they continue to work with the new information, perhaps answering questions that make them connect it to previous knowledge, that string is replaced by a rope.

Illustrating what happens in the brain when we learn can encourage students to put in effort to learn. I used this activity with my advisory group last week. Studies have shown that students who understand neuroplasticity will persevere in their school work more than their peers who think ability is innate.

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