Some people believe that growth occurs quickly and that a person can grow tremendously through one event or specific point in time. On the other hand, there’s people like me. I believe growth happens slowly over a long period of time and single events are mini catalysts to growth. My definition of growth is seen through my education. Like most kids I spent more time at school growing up than anywhere else—even my own home, because of the ridiculous amount of time spent in the classroom there are countless events from my education that have led to my growth as a student and made me interested in teaching. Since I was young I always found interest in my classes and was excited to learn new things. Throughout elementary and high school, I would hear complaints from my brother or friends, “I hate school”, “I’m never going to use this in life” and so on. At first I would hear these comments and think “Wow, I must be a nerd because I love school” but eventually realized that I simply loved to learn and discover new things. No matter what the class or teacher, every experience in school made me grow in a different way and helped shape me into the teacher I will be one day. The earliest memory I have of loving school was in third grade with my favorite teacher from elementary school. Everyone loved Mr. Lee because he was fun and would give out Oreo cookies to students who answered his questions, but I loved Mr. Lee because of how interesting his class was. He made me
I started school in a big building for the first time I remember it the most because I spent the most time in it I had a teacher named miss laurence she was the best she let us watch Bill nye
Carol S. Dweck's article “Brainology – Transforming Student's Motivation to Learn” offers insights about student's mentality at school and why some students are better off than others. The article claims directly that students generally have two mindsets when it comes to learning; one is “fixed mindset,” a negative trait, and the other is “growth mindset,” a positive trait. Both of these traits contradict each other in terms of meaning. These two mindsets impact students on whether or not they will be successful on their academic road. In “Brainology – Transforming Student's Motivation to Learn,” Dweck explains how these two traits influence the outcome of having one of these two mindsets through
This is important because it’s hard to really see a lot of growth within a time period. In the article, Carol also backs this up with evidence from a controlled experiment. The experiment was focused on the minds of seventh graders and talking to them in a certain way that influenced their mindsets. The seventh graders were split up into two groups and were to work on an eight-session workshop, however, the control group was taught about what a growth mindset is and how it can be applied into their school life. This factor leads to the control group having improved at the end of the semester. This experiment showed that just by knowing about what a growth mindset is and how it could be applied in life, people are more likely to grow more rapidly than people whose minds are fixed on having a limit to their knowledge or skills. This is important because the sooner that kids know how to make their brain think that there are endless possibilities to who they can be or what they can do, the more they are likely to excel in anything that they attempt, not only in school but in their own personal life. This will allow a person with a fixed mindset to be able to change their way of thinking and start to see more about what they can accomplish with their life.
I still remember my very first day of school. Neither my mom or I spoke English. I relied on other bilingual kids to understand the teacher, but within six months I was able to communicate in English. By the third grade I was reclassified as an English speaker. This was the first time I experienced first hand the result of countless hours of study. This motivated me further. From there on out, I enjoyed school to the fullest.
Time and time again I've found myself declaring education as the central pillar of my growth and development, that of which has been consistent throughout my life and educational career. From the age of 8 I've attributed school and learning as a way to escape the outside world, both willingly, and as an involuntary coping mechanism; school was a refuge, a safe place where I could build healthy relationships and escape my worries. I felt valued by my teachers, and I was given opportunities to contribute to a community, and for the first time felt autonomous- and that I could control my future.
There’s a saying that everyone’s said at least once in their lifetime, I’m sure. It’s so cliché, but now I know that there is so much truth behind it. “Believe in yourself.” Rather than giving up on yourself, use your failures to make you better. Learn how to bounce back from adversity and learn from those experiences. This is called using your growth mindset. According to Carol Dweck, research psychologist, in her book Mindset, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” It wasn’t until the summer between my junior and senior year of high school that I learned this and of course I learned it the hard way. I had played club basketball for four summers in a row with the Longmont Rush basketball club. I loved the game of basketball and I had spent countless hours working on my skills on the court. I even wanted to play in college. I already had schools scouting me. Unfortunately, in my final season, just before my senior year, my biggest fear came true.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. How much effort you put in is how much you get back. You can’t study and get a grade you don’t won’t. Grit and growth mindset, are the key to life. You can master both of these things with the right amount of effort.
I started out in Lindbergh at the age of three where I went to preschool for two years. I remember taking naps, playing on the playground, and snacking the most. After I finished preschool I went on to kindergarten. My first year riding a big school bus vs the small they use to pick us up in for preschool. I remember my kindergarten teacher Ms. Dorn who taught me the alphabet and how to count. My first grade teacher Ms. Hansen taught me how to read, write, add, and subtract. I remember my second grade teacher Ms. Welinski who help me further my education in the world of history, math, reading, and writing. My third grade teacher Ms. Cox retired my third grade year, but her lasted year she taught me how to write in cursive and to multiply.
It’s difficult to be a successful author in today’s day and age, as there is competition everywhere, and it is easy to be drowned out, no matter how hard you try to put your name out into the world. Generally we tend to think of success as how much money an author makes or how well known they are among the common populace. However, true success should be defined by the quality of the story, regardless of how many people know it, and the satisfaction of having written it, regardless of how much it made. It takes a willingness to grow and to work hard to achieve literary success and notoriety. A successful author develops a growth mindset through the education and life experience they receive from their younger years into adulthood. Carol Dweck in Ken Bain’s What the Best College Students Do, describes a growth mindset as having a mastery perspective, “they believe that they can master something and grow in their abilities if they try. If they don’t succeed, they look for new strategies rather than deciding they ‘just can’t do it.’...Mastery students think abilities can expand. The helpless they’re fixed (Bain 109).” A growth mindset and strong ethos is critical to the success of authors as is demonstrated in the lives and works of Richard Adams, Dan Abnett and Hunter S. Thompson.
What is education? According to Webster’s Dictionary education is defined as, (noun) 1: the action or process of being educating or of being educated, 2: the field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in schools. What does education provide for us? How important is education in today’s society?
In the article “Carol Dweck Revisits the ‘Growth Mindset’,” Carol Dweck refines her definition of growth mindset, and she explains that since many have confused the concept, it is important to clarify the idea of growth mindset before people claim that they have one. Dweck explains that, although effort is an important factor for having a growth mindset, it is just as, if not more, important to ask others for help, to test out different strategies, and to ask what needs to be done in order to succeed the next time. Instead of claiming to possess a growth mindset just because it sounds better than possessing a fixed mindset, one should accept the mindset that they actually have. This will only help to develop a growth mindset, which is
Throughout the numerous experiences I have had during my time at Benedictine University, I have learned different lessons and values that will prove important to my teaching career. The different courses, teachers, and schools that I had the opportunity to work with have helped me grow as an educator and provided me with the tools needed in order to be successful.
These past four years have really been a life changing experience. From a childish freshmen not only at school but at home too, to a still sometimes childish senior, one who knows when and how to control himself. This school and its teachers have taught me so many lessons that will not be forgotten any time soon.
The first week of this unit I had a mix of emotions, excitement and stress . The topics covered each week have giving me the opportunity to increase my knowledge in many areas. Having an interest in teaching when I started this course has now grown to having an interest in learning as well. Reflecting on my education as a child has shown me the growth in teaching and our current education system.
Elementary school started out as a bore but moved on to eventually being fun and enjoyable. I grew to love school and learning during my fourth and fifth grade years at Zia elementary school. My teacher taught me the value of history and American History