To encourage a growth mindset, pass it on

Teachers' approach to developing the right mindset can have a huge impact on students' own efforts

Many teachers want to have a growth mindset and want to impart it to their students. But how do you know if you have a growth mindset? And how do you know if you're passing it on? This is what my colleagues and I have been fretting over lately.

We used to think that growth mindset was a simple concept; if adults had a growth mindset they would naturally pass it on. Ah, those were blissful days. A growth mindset no longer seems so simple and we're learning all the ways that teachers do and do not pass it on.

Why a growth mindset is not so simple

First of all, many educators confuse a growth mindset with other nice things. They equate it with simply being open-minded or flexible, or with...