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Model Behavior and Growth Mindset

Tags

Social-Emotional Learning K-8 Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking Self-regulation

Model Behavior and Growth Mindset

All students, particularly those who are good observers but don't respond well to direct feedback

How To Apply It!

  1. The best way to teach students how to act and think through difficult problems or situations is to model or show them the expected behavior.
  2. Think aloud and talk through your decisions as you make them, whether you are solving a math problem or deciding how to clean up a spill on the floor. Explain why you are making one choice and decided against another. As a student hears your step-by-step reasoning, he naturally learns to pause and think through decisions in a similar way.
  3. Students pick up on adults' general mindset. Modeling a "positive or growth minset sends a different message than an "oh this is impossible" mindset. Students will notice your expressions and body language as much as your words.
  4. In social contexts, model the types of behaviors that we expect in children. This includes interaction with family members, people you don't know, and people you might not like. Children pick up on and model adult behaviors, positive and negative.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Adults often do not realize how much children, even young children, observe and internalize. While we often expect children to obediently listen and follow instructions, and oftentimes they do, in the long run they are far more likely to model the behaviors they see than follow the instructions they are given.