Growth Mindset: Stories of Growth

A painting of Beowulf. (Wikimedia Commons)

Of the stories, we've read of this class, one character stands out to me as exemplifying the growth mindset perfectly. Beowulf is a character who is never content to rest on his laurels and is always trying to improve himself and gain renown. It would have been easy for him to content himself with his great strength, but he wanted to do more to prove his mettle. Even after he slays Grendel, he longs for a challenge that can top that one! The fact that he's always trying to move forward and accomplish new great feats makes him an icon of the growth mindset.

Bibliography. The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs. Web Link.

Thoughts about the Growth Mindset

Our professor had us check out a few videos related to "growth mindset" learning. I thought that the concept was pretty well explained, and I agree that challenging situations are what help us to develop and grow as people. I think that the ideas of the growth mindset are applicable to plenty of life facets, even outside academics. It makes me think about the day-to-day responsibilities that I might be inclined to shirk instead of take on headfirst.

Nobody's born a mountain climber! (photo courtesy pixabay)

My one sticking point is the way that Dr. Dweck talks about childhood as a passive process. In one video, she talks about the way "we should make children feel" in response to challenging (or not so challenging) situations. While I understand where she's coming from, she consistently uses language that makes it sound like she's conditioning rats in a cage. Semantics, but something I noted!