Using a Growth Mindset to Help Our Students Succeed Fall Convocation 2016

Reflect Pull out your KWL chart – based on your reading, fill in what you know and what you need or want to know about fixed mindset and growth mindset.    

Learning Outcomes Describe the difference between having a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Identify fixed and growth mindset thinking in ourselves and our students. Provide examples of how you can apply the concept of growth mindset in your work at Shoreline.

Mindsets Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset Focus is on growing Focus is to be seen as perfect and to not make mistakes Concerned with judgment Failure = measure of competence and worth Taking on new challenges may reveal inadequacies Effort means you aren’t smart or talented Focus is on growing Concerned with improvement Failure = opportunity for growth Taking on new challenges allows you to grow Effort is what makes you smart or talented

Growth Mindset in Ourselves Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset Ugh. This is so complicated! I give up. If I put in time and effort, I can learn how to do this. I can’t believe I messed that up. People may think I’m not smart/good at this. Wow, I learned a lot from that experience. I am just not the type of person who can do ________. I am going to make a plan to learn how to do ___________. This just makes no sense. Let me think about this from a different perspective.

Table Talk Talk with your table about your own mindset. How might your mindset play out in your interactions with students? While you are doing so, fill in what you know and need/want to know about your own mindset and strategies to help our students succeed.    

Share Any good examples from your table?

Mindset Responses Student statement Fixed mindset response Growth mindset response I can’t believe I messed that up. That’s OK. It’s not that big of a deal. You’re a smart person – I am sure you can handle this. I know – it’s so hard when you make mistakes, but it’s a great way to learn. What did you learn from messing up? I am just not the type of person who can do __________. Well, I am sure you are good at other things. We can’t all be __________ people. If you work at it and try different strategies, you can learn how to do this. I just don’t get it. If this doesn’t come easily to you, maybe this ____________ isn’t for you. You don’t get it yet. Let’s talk about the strategy you are using, and try something different.

Growth Mindset at Shoreline While watching the video, identify three examples of students demonstrating growth mindset. Commencement Video

Table Talk Talk with your table about the growth mindset you saw in the video.

Our First-time Students In 2015-2016, a total of 10,003 attended Shoreline for credit (both full-time and part-time). How many of these were new students that year? 3,421 (34%) What you saw in the video was students who were coming to the end and could look back at their success – which in many cases resulted from adopting a growth mindset. Now I would like to talk about students who are starting their Shoreline experience. Last year at this time, we discussed the progress of a cohort of first-time college students who start at Shoreline in fall quarter and talked about their progress through the experience. Today I want to talk about all of our students who are starting Shoreline for the first time, so let’s talk about numbers.

Our First-time Students What percent of our first-time students start their Shoreline experience in Fall quarter? Are most of our students starting their Shoreline experience in fall quarter – actually, over half are starting at different quarters.

Our First-time Students What percent of our first-time students are also entering college for the first time? Only one-third of our students are what we might call a traditional first-time college students. Most are either coming in with some credit or even a degree, or are starting in a high school reengagement or a basic skills program.

Growth Mindset at Shoreline Group Additional Information Transition & high school 27% are in CEO/LCN; 39% gaining basic skills First-time in college 65% of transfer in pre-college Some college no degree 48% working on core requirements or pre-college courses Prior degree 77 % professional/technical; Average age: 30 What does this have to do with growth mindset. I would argue that – just as we saw in the video – having a growth mindset is absolutely critical for our students, no matter where they begin their experience and I have a bit more data to share … For students in transitional and high school programs – about a quarter of those are in a high school re-engagement program – or they are in a basic skills program. Imagine if you are a student in one of those programs and how easy it would be to give up if you thought every setback reflected on your intellectual ability? For our first-time college students, over half of whom are transfer students, 65% of those students are starting at a pre-college level. They will be encountering material they have probably encountered before … a growth mindset will be essential to finding different strategies for the same material – to thinking *this time* I can learn. Imagine you are a student coming in with college credits – well almost half of those are working on pre-college or core requirements, so they have not necessarily made a huge amount of progress with those credits. Prior degree – new What they all have in common is that they have come HERE and believe that if they come and do the work here, that they will learn – that they will be like the students in the videos, who came in with hope but also with their own history … that may include mistakes or challenges or … failure.

Think Select one of the three scenarios at your table: A = Yellow B = Pink C = Green First, think about what fixed mindset thoughts you might have in that situation Then, consider what someone could say to help you move towards a growth mindset

Pair Find someone with the same scenario (you might need to move!) and discuss your results.

Pair again! Find someone with a different scenario (you might need to move!). Describe your scenario and your responses.

Share Scenario A: “I don’t understand it. I always got A’s and B’s in high school – I have never gotten a C before. I guess, I’m not very smart after all – or maybe I am not college material.” Scenario B: “Hi! I am not a computer person and I am really bad at paperwork. Can you tell me how to register for classes? I also need help with the financial aid form. Ugh. Maybe college isn’t for me … ” Scenario C: “I have to drop out of this class. I am never going to get this.”

Reflect  Pull out your KWL chart – think about what you have learned during this session   

Just the Beginning! Growth Mindset  Motivation Friday, 8:30am, Room 2308 Student Motivation: Cultivating Positive Learning Environments Yvonne Ortiz, AHE Growth Mindset  Motivation High Engagement  Motivation Stick around for evaluation of convocation: surveymonkey.com/r/ShorelineConvocation2016 …. and ice cream!