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Researched Best Practices for Student Learning
Sara Overby, Coordinating Teacher for Secondary Literacy, soverby@wcpss.net
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I am able to implement at least 3 ideas that will help to
shift the culture in my classroom towards a Growth Mindset
for myself and for my students.
I’m not sure what
a Growth Mindset
is, and/or I’m not
sure what I can
do about it,
anyway.
I have heard of a
Growth Mindset and
I try to talk to
students about their
effort. But I don’t
have any concrete
ideas to use.
I understand the
concept of Growth
Mindset. I try to
include actual
strategies to foster
effort and growth in
my students. I’m
seeing some progress,
but I don’t really know
what to do.
I firmly believe in the
Growth Mindset and
explicitly teach students
about it. I have tools in
my teacher toolbox of
strategies and plans
that have specific
connections to effort
and achievement.
Questions and
Hypotheses
Notes
Deep Idea 1
Deep Idea 2
Concepts based on Carol S. Dweck, Mindset (2008)
Image from http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/147545/file-985442257-png/Blog/GrowthvFixed.png?t=1408983517123
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1668641/thumbs/o-BORED-HIGH-SCHOOL-STUDENT-facebook.jpg
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/HEALTH/04/22/chewing.gum.benefit
s/art.gum.chewing.girl.gi.jpg
http://atlantablackstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/frustrated_teacher2.jpg
“Teachers must adopt
the mind-set that
there’s no such thing
as laziness.
If a student appears
lazy, there’s
something else going
on that we can’t see.”
Rick Wormeli, “Motivating Young Adolescents”
Educational Leadership (Sept. 2014).
How Do I Feel?
http://slitech.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/engaged-students.jpg
Am I tired? Hungry? Worried
about home?
Do I like this class?
Do I like this teacher?
Do I like my
classmates?
Marzano and Pickering, 2011
Can I Do This?
Will I look stupid?
Will I be
embarrassed?
Do I have the
background skills?
Is this “too hard”?
Will I get frustrated?
http://ak1.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/6443924/preview/stock-footage-male-high-school-student-with-teacherdiscussing-textbook.jpg
Marzano and Pickering, 2011
Am I Interested?
Do I already have a
natural interest or talent?
Do I see how this
connects to my own life –
today, not 10 years from
now?
Does somebody else have a passion that makes
me want to know what’s so great?
Does someone make this seem fun to learn or
worth my time?
http://cmsimg.newsleader.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DO&Date=20061217&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=612170411&Ref=AR
&MaxW=640&Border=0&Keeping-kids-school
Do
Marzano and Pickering, 2011
Is This
Important?
Does it relate to my
current life?
Does it relate to goals I
I set for myself?
Can I see how it
matters in my society
or community?
http://www.tiesteach.org/assets/components/phpthumbof/cache/schooldesign.0ba8069c2e26887d96c74f1f206aa22b.png
Marzano and Pickering, 2011
Questions and
Hypotheses
Notes
Deep Idea 1
Deep Idea 2
Power
 Do
I work towards
my own goals?
 Do I have a voice
in my evaluation?
 Do I think I’m
competent?
 Do I think I’m
significant?
Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998
Belonging
 Do
I know that the
teacher “sees me”?
 Do I feel emotionally
safe here?
 Do I have a valuable
role in this
environment?
 Do my peers “hear
me”?
Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998
Freedom
 Do
I have opportunities
to make choices?
 Do I have opportunities
to design and create?
 Do I have opportunities
to make my own plans?
 Do I have opportunities
to move around?
Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998
Fun
 Is
this environment enjoyable (but focused)?
 Is this class
interactive?
 Are my
experiences in
this class rich and
relevant?
 Do I regularly
have “healthy
challenges” in
this class?
http://futureeducators.pages.tcnj.edu/files/2010/12/Cadets-Fishbowl-Lesson.jpg
Glasser, Choice Theory, 1998
Questions and
Hypotheses
Notes
Deep Idea 1
Deep Idea 2
The Wingman
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https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/strategies-for-engaging-students
How does this strategy
address the 4 Hidden
Questions students
bring with them to
learnng?
How does it address
the 4 Needs of All
Learners?
How could a teacher
adapt this for different
purposes or different
learning activities?
Questions and
Hypotheses
Notes
Deep Idea 1
Deep Idea 2
“When students
know there are
supports in place
to keep them from
free-falling into
failure, they’re
much more likely to
take risks to
deepen their
learning.”
http://www.ed.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Douglass2.jpg
Robyn Jackson and Allison Zmuda, “4 (Secret) Keys to Student
Engagement” Educational Leadership (Sept. 2014).
Effort and Motivation
 Environment
that makes it safe to take risks
 Activities with built-in internal motivators
 Lesson arcs that move from low-risk to
increasingly higher risks emotionally and
intellectually
 Learning structures with authentic peer
recognition
 Learning structures with self-assessments of
effort and achievement
 Lesson plans that address the 4 Questions and
4 Needs
http://outreach.uga.edu/images/photo_news/3181.jpg
Collaborative
Note Taking?
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low-risk to increasingly higher
risks?
authentic peer recognition?
safe to take risks?
internal motivators?
self-assessments of effort
and achievement?
4 Needs?
Power? Belonging? Freedom? Fun?
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4 Questions?
How I feel? Can I do it? Important?
Interested?

I am able to implement at least 3 ideas that will help to
shift the culture in my classroom towards a Growth Mindset
for myself and for my students.
I can explain Growth
Mindset to my students. I
plan to try to talk to
students about their
effort. I can give students
3 specific ideas about
effort and motivation.
I now know what
a Growth Mindset
is. I’m not sure
what I can do
about it, though.
I hold students accountable
for attending to a Growth
Mindsets. I can infuse
additional specific strategies
every day that enhance a
culture of engaged effort in
my classes.
I can explain concepts and
concrete examples about Growth
Mindset to students. I can offer
several more additional ideas
than I could prior to this session. I
can assess a learning activity for
its effect on student effort.