Change Your Words - Change Your Mindset

Building and fostering a "Growth Mindset" doesn't happen overnight.  In Room 310 we have started the year with several activities to help inspire the idea that "intelligence can be developed" and that "you can learn anything through hard work and effort!"

On the first day of school we watched this video created by the Kahn Academy titled "You Can Learn Anything!"  Students viewed it once to enjoy, viewed it two more times to come up with a 'take away'.

The video really resonated with many students because they could directly relate to it. Students posted their thoughts on a sticky note which were displayed in the classroom.

Take a minute to watch the video to see what positive message you take away from it. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section of our blog! I know the students of Room 310 would love to see what you think.




Another day we watched another video where the idea of Growth Mindset was introduced. From this video we talked about the idea of  "Training Our Brain" to accomplish things we want to learn. This happened to coincide with International Dot Day so we completed an activity where we drew on a dot something we wanted to learn.



For the first school assembly we decided to share some words that will help change your mindset.  It was inspired by this TeachersPayTeachers bulletin board by Pinkadots Elementary. For the lesson students were given the Fixed mindset statements (I give Up; I'm not Good at this; This is too hard, etc) and asked to replace them with positive statements (I'll try my best; I'll keep working on this; With some effort I'll get this; etc).  Then students carouselled around the room and added more statements to each others' posters.

The final step in this process was to select some phrases that would be added to some homemade speech bubbles, which would then be presented to the school during the assembly.  Students worked hard and did a fabulous job presenting.

Training your brain doesn't happen overnight so we will continue the process of working towards a "Growth Mindset" throughout the year!  The ultimate goal is about 'Learning' and how we can do that best!

                        

Feel like sharing your thoughts on Mindset?  Please leave a comment - my students would love to hear your ideas.

We Proudly Recite the Pledge of Allegiance

Each day the students at our school (like many other children across the country) recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of our day.  Not quite sure the students fully understood words like: pledge, allegiance, republic, nation, indivisible, liberty, and justice, I decided I would review the meanings of those words.

After reviewing the meanings and participating in a "Reader's Theater" about the pledge, the students in our class have a new found appreciation when speaking those words each day.  They respectfully recite the Pledge now with greater understanding.

This video by former comedian, Red Skelton, had the students sit up and take notice.  He mentioned two things that really got the kids wondering.  After listening to it, can you guess what the kids questioned?

At the end of the week the class presented the Reader's Theater about the Pledge of Allegiance at the school assembly.  It was our hope that all the other students would become more competent with the meaning behind The Pledge.

Even though there is still controversy about saying "The Pledge" in schools, our students proudly recite it each day.

Students:  Which word in the Pledge do you think is the most important and why?