In this growth mindset series, we’ve talked about encouraging mistakes in your classroom, engaging students in meaningful learning, and now we’ll talk about praising students the right way!
Why wouldn’t we want to tell students they are smart? You might be wondering…
Well, friend… being smart is certainly still a goal! However, I’d like for us to delve deeper into the idea of praising students the right way.
Here’s a thought to consider, praising a child for being smart is no different than praising a child for being tall. You either are, or you are not. Being tall or short is something that can’t be controlled. It’s genetic. Similarly, praising a child for being smart, would give the same idea. Either you are (smart) or you are not! The student will attribute success to a fixed trait that he/she was born with.
Just think about it?
