Imagine you are in a young learner classroom. A child is building a tower that falls down.
A child can’t complete a puzzle. They make a mistake on their coloring sheet.
Rather than immediately trying to solve or fix the problem, the teacher instead asks, “That didn’t work. What could we do to try and fix it?”
But what if the questions we are asking are to the adults in the room?
What do teachers do when an activity doesn’t work? What do teachers do when children’s reactions to activities are not what was expected? Where do teachers turn for advice, and what if that advice challenges the ideas they have always had? These moments are all opportunities to model a growth mindset.
This post explores practical ways teachers can learn, reflect, and adapt and how school leaders can create a culture that supports a growth mindset for teachers.
A growth mindset starts with seeing teachers as learners
Many teachers participate in formal professional development, but this does not mean they are automatically learning. In order for learning to happen, teachers need to be engaged and participating.
Some other ways teachers can learn within an educational environment are:
- Asking questions or trying something new or different.
- Seeking ideas that differ from their own, or looking for different suggestions or opinions.
- Asking for feedback to help them adapt their teaching practice.
Just as teachers ask students to be curious, to try new things, and to continue to try even when things do not go the way they hoped, teachers need to do the same. These are all elements of a growth mindset, and they help to illustrate that there is more to teacher learning than formal professional development opportunities.
We learn more when we learn from each other
Developing a growth mindset does not happen in isolation. Learning from other teachers can have a significant impact on the way we teach.
In my role as Area Manager at an Early Childhood facility in Japan, I was tasked with carrying out Performance Reviews of the staff, which included observing their classes over the course of a few days. As an educator, this was highly valuable to me. This opportunity meant that I could learn new techniques to adapt the learning content to different types of learners. However, formal observations are not the only time to look at another teacher’s class. Asking or volunteering to have someone come in to review your class—or even a casual observation of another teacher’s practice—serves the same purpose under less formal circumstances.
Teachers have to be open to this type of learning for it to work. Using reflective questions can make the experience more relevant and less intimidating:
- What is a specific strategy they are using that I have been hesitant to use in my class, and why?
- How is the strategy working for them, and how could I adapt it for my classroom?
- What are two things I have observed that I could take away and use in my class?
- Looking at a strategy that they used, what questions could I ask to understand why they choose to use that particular strategy in that scenario?
- Did they use anything previously, or have they adapted what they initially tried?
This learning is not only about observing other teachers or asking questions. It can also take place through conversations, through sharing an idea with the community, and through being open and honest about something that didn’t work. In the international school community (of which I am a part), teachers have a wealth of different experiences, come from different teacher-training backgrounds, and have different educational philosophies. This creates a range of learning opportunities for the teachers around them.
The power of saying “I don’t know”
Learning from others also requires teachers to be comfortable not having every answer. Children are always asking why, but when do we, as teachers, ask the same thing?
One of the biggest influences we can have on children is using the phrase “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” This use of vulnerability—not direct authority—helps children see that you don’t know everything as a teacher. But it also shows that you want to know and are willing to find out. It also provides an opportunity to model how to find things out. Asking questions like “What do you think?”, “What should we try?”, and “How do you think it will change?”, depending on their age, leaves space for additional investigation. Ultimately, it shows children what to do when they don’t know something and to have the confidence to find the answers.
Why being reflective matters
Being open to new ideas is only part of a growth mindset. Reflecting on their own practice provides teachers with valuable insights, as well.
Reflection doesn’t need to be written or formal. It can include:
- Looking at the photos taken in class. Are all the children engaged to the same degree? Did all the students have equal access to the materials? Was additional teacher support needed?
- Having a 5-minute conversation with a peer. Ask why they chose a particular strategy, how it has evolved, or what they might change next time.
- Taking some quick notes on what you will do differently next time.
- Asking a teaching partner what they thought went well and what didn’t. Consider student engagement, participation, and what you might adjust in the lesson.
My favorite reflection practice is recording yourself and watching it back. I always found I was much more able to reflect on my own teaching in this way. Watching myself helped me notice details, such as whether children seated at the sides of the semi-circle had equal access to the content or whether my chair was positioned far enough back for everyone to see. This also helped me reflect on what I should continue to do, like calling on children who did not speak as often and providing them with wait time and the opportunity to try easier tasks.
But learning how to reflect can be a challenging and lengthy process. To help teachers be more reflective this year, my school decided to change the lesson plans that teachers submitted and added a section that required their reflections on the lessons and points to note about each of the students.
From a growth mindset to a culture of learning
A growth mindset is not only something we want teachers to demonstrate individually. As school leaders, we should create a culture where learning is part of who we are as a school, for teachers and students alike. That means creating an environment where staff feel comfortable asking questions, receiving feedback, experimenting with new teaching practices, and reflecting on their work. While a growth mindset can feel individual in nature, meaningful professional development and growth happen when school leaders create the conditions for teachers to learn from experience, from one another, and alongside their students.
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