Fostering the "Can do!" Attitude

The other day I brought my daughter to college.  This leaves my husband and I labeled as "empty nesters".  Several years back when her brother went off to college, I ended up on blood pressure medicine.  So I was expecting this move to be rough to say the least.

I am thrilled to report that this time around it was an amazing experience!  I embraced the day, savoring the countless opportunities I saw unfold before us.  To my complete surprise, for the last couple days, rather than looking in her room with sadness, I have been filled with such a feeling of joy for her.

Those of you that know me are thinking, "Is this Lori talking?"  I have always been the person that does not welcome change.  This new found thinking really caused me to pause and reflect about how it came to be.

I can honestly say that the change in my mindset has evolved over time - a real process.  What influenced me?  I am surrounded by some dear friends and colleagues that have showed me how to welcome these new experiences.  I guess you could say that they've really rubbed off on me.

This brought me to thinking about kids who say or think, "I'm not good at math."  We all have them.  Heck, we have adults around us singing the same tune.  So how do we influence our students' mindset?

In my blog post, Tackling the Summer Slide, I discuss encouraging young mathematicians by using the language, "I'm still learning to..."  As I have worked with students who have tried out this phrase, I could actually hear a lighter tone in their voices as they say it.  They feel empowered to have permission to express that they are working on their learning, rather than having a feeling a defeat.  But what else can we do as educators to foster this growth mindset?

Making sense of problems and persevere in solving them is the overarching habit of mind in the Common Core Math Practices.   Last year I witnessed students in both primary and secondary grades who could not persevere.  They believed that they could not do the math without teacher help.

The teachers and I worked together over several months to influence their mindsets.  Our strategy was three-pronged:

1. Use read-alouds and class discussions about these stories to help children start to build awareness that we can all learn and that making mistakes is a big part of learning.
2. Use ongoing think-alouds when modeling math to help students see what it looks like to be stuck.  Show them how to pause and think about what you know or what tool you could use to help you.
3. Create an anchor chart with the students, highlighting the tools and moves they can use to help themselves when they feel stuck.  

In the primary grades, students quickly connect with these stories about the importance of determination:

Try and Stick with It by Cheri J. Meiners, M. Ed.

It's hard to try something new.  When things get tough, the characters take us on a journey filled with flexibility, perseverance, and the importance of sticking with it.

I Can Do It!:  A First Look at Not Giving Up by Pat Thomas

The message in this book is about trying your best when you attempt something new and not being afraid to make mistakes.

If Only I Could! by David and Mutiya Vision

The child in this story gets frustrated when things don't go her way. Surprisingly, her baby sister teaches her the importance of perseverance.





In the secondary grades, these titles foster powerful discussions around perseverance:

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

A girl sets out to make something magnificent.  When things do not go as she hopes, she becomes discouraged and quits.  Her dog and faithful friend helps her to realize the importance of perseverance.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett

Beatrice Bottomwell never makes mistakes.  When she ends up making a mistake for all to see, she learns that it's not a big deal to mess up.

Butterflies for Kiri by Cathryn Falwell

Kiri get frustrated that she cannot make origami butterflies.  She perseveres and through her creativity and determination, she learns more than just how to make butterflies.




When modeling in a second grade class, I let the students witness my struggle with adding coins.  Several students were quick to give me suggestions on what could help me - the coin chart, the one hundred chart, or the coin manipulatives.  At this point it was easier for them to offer someone else help because they did not personally "feel" the struggle.

Yet this discussion naturally led to charting the tools that can help us.

With the anchor chart in place, the students interacted with the chart to help them start to build their perseverance muscles.  They took ownership of their learning, and the confidence building was so evident.  Some students did continue to quickly come to the teacher and the teacher simply pointed to the anchor chart, redirecting the student.  

Yes, it is a process and each child moves through this process at his or her own rate, just as it's taken me a long time to start to embrace change.  The important thing to remember is that we are all growing.

Please share strategies you have found to foster positive thinking and perseverance with your students.  We all need to keep adding to our tool box.