Academic Mindset Argument: Draft #1
A mindset is a view you have on yourself as a learner, and this view affects the way you put effort towards learning. There are two very important mindsets each person is defined as. There is having a growth mindset, and having a fixed Someone with a growth mindset believes intelligence can be developed throughout time. Someone with a fixed mindset believes that intelligence is a fixed trait. Dr. Carol Dweck is a psychologist at Stanford University. In the article, Teachers, Parents Often Misuse Growth Mindset Research , Carol Dweck Says (Carol Dweck), Dweck believes that your mindset was formed when you were a lot younger and it has been affecting the way you learn ever since. She argues, “adults can, instead, help foster a "growth mindset" – the belief that the brain is like a muscle that can grow stronger through hard work.” I agree with Dr. Carol Dweck because I always used to get good grades on my tests, but was not being told the right things due to that the failure hurt me dramatically. It started off freshmen year of high school. I was in my advanced math class, and the class was going easy. I was also doing very well on the tests, and I was always being told my professor that I was very smart. My peers would look at me and say, ”Wow Defrim you are really smart always get perfect scores.” Dweck says, “it's harmful to tell your kids that they're smart because when they eventually do struggle in school, they might think they're not so smart after all. Ultimately, they become afraid of challenges and less resilient when faced with obstacles”. That is exactly what was occurring here. I was being told very “fixed minded” words. As time went by we kept taking test, and I kept being told I was smart. I felt very good about myself, and wasn't afraid of taking test. Failing never crossed my mind. One day I received a test and I had gotten a 64 percent. When I received this I felt as if there was a mistake. This can not be my test. This has to be a joke. Students found out that I got a 64 and they stopped looking up to me like they used too. This dropped my self esteem and the way i felt about the class very low. I did not want to come back to class. Few days later we had another test, and when I received it the thought of me failing again was in my head. Again I failed the test. Before I was not scared to take tests, but now I was petrified. The thought of failing was always on my mind, and I became an awful test taker. Every test I got I would always fail and do bad on it due to this. That is why I believe the way you praise a kid can go a long way to his future. In the article, The Perils of "Growth Mindset Education" [...] (Alfie Kohn), Alfie Kohn believes that the issue is not in the way we talk to our kids, but it’s the system that is failing us. He goes on to say, "The most common bit of concrete advice offered by Dweck and others enamored of the growth mindset is to praise kids for their effort ("You tried really hard") rather than for their ability (You're really smart") in order to get them to persevere. But the first problem with this seductively simple script change is that praising children for their effort carries problems of its own, as several studies confirmed: It can communicate that they're really not very capable and therefore unlikely to succeed at future tasks." I disagree with Kohn on all of what he has said because he has misunderstood Carol Dwecks article. Dweck suggests using phrases such as, “Wow, you really practiced that, and look how you've improved." "See, you studied more and your grade on this test is higher." "You tried different strategies and you figured out how to solve the problem." "You stuck to this and now you really understand it". Phrases like these put a student in the right attitude to keep wanting to learn, and achieve more. Also, they will understand that from failure you just learn, and it makes easier for next time around. Therefore this is why I disagree with Kohn, but I agree with Carol Dweck that teachers, parents, and others have to use the proper language to help a child get that growth mindset. With a growth mindset you can achieve more, and strive for more because of your willingness to gain more knowledge. Finally, I believe that if parents and teachers started praising their students the right way they would see a huge change in the grading part of it. But, they would also see a huge difference in the way students feel about taking tests, or even feel about coming to class. If a student enjoys a class its usually because he is doing well or he has good friends in the classroom. I think schools should place students in classes with their good friends, and praise their students differently. Due to all this there will be a positive dramatic change in the school.
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Defrim Namani
February 8, 2017 English 100 Professor Sabatino The Day That Changed My Future The sun was shining on my back as I stood on the full green soccer pitch, I am at the most amazing place: The Proving Grounds. As I look around I see all the fans ready to watch a beautiful game. My heart was racing! Excitement continued to fill the air I was ready to play. My teammates were bright and full of passion; I could feel that today was different. Walking onto the field I held my head high, thinking to myself “this is my field, my team, my win” The first goal was scored 1-0 we were down. The second goal was scored. 2-0 I wasn’t ready to give up. I glanced at my teammates and saw emotions of defeat. It was the 45th minute of the game and the score was 4-0. As I took a seat on the bench everything felt so cold, and I did not want to be there. I looked at my coaches and saw the emotions of disappointment and anger. They were pacing back and forth every step of theirs was so powerful and it hit the ground with such determination and anger. I felt as if I was the only one on the field ready to win. During the 15 minutes that I had to bring my teammates back into this game the only advice I could think of was that we have come this far we can not give up now, especially not to our rivals, this is much more than a game to us. My coaches walked up to me and my brother as we sat on the bench. It was so quiet you could hear the net of the soccer field swivel back and forth. Their faces were so down and with such worry. They came up to me and my brother and said, “The Saint Joeseph’s soccer coaches are here to evaluate you and Donny.You guys need to go out there and do something special because this is your opportunity”. These words got me hyped up. I brought the team in for huddle and said, “go out there and work your ass off for one another because if you have my back I will always have yours”. I could feel the intensity and drive that my team always has start to come back. Once again we were ready to win. We stepped back out onto the field with fire under us determined to turn this game around. Beads of sweat ran down my face as I sprinted to towards the ball that was running away from me. I crossed it into the box and hit the ground, but never lost eye contact with the ball. As I watched the ball go in the box I saw a player get up and head it. It was my brother. The ball was in the back of the net. The score was 4-1. I was full of determination, we were going to win! I ran picked up the ball from the back of the net and carried to the half. There was no time to be wasted. Every second mattered. As we kicked off the second half down 4-1 the ball came to me. I picked my head up with all the energy I had left I saw my brother making a run past the defense. I split the defender and left back with a fast through ball to my brother. As I watched him take the ball down against the goalie and shoot past him. The score became 4-2. We were determined to come back and not give up. The game went on until the 75th minute where my striker Leon scored a volley from outside the box to make it 4-3. We knew we had them defeated. All the confidence was on our side and they had nothing left in them.The game went on and it was the 85th minute. I was standing outside the box my legs felt as if they weighed 200 pounds. I did not have much left in me. The ball was crossed into the box, and cleared by a header from the other team only to land and fall in front of me. I took a touch and I looked up I had two defenders coming at me. I used my speed and agility to kick the ball past both and get beyond them. I was 24 meters away from the goal. I saw an opening to shoot and i decided to take it. I kicked it with everything I had left in me. I watched the ball go with sweat inside my eyes and pain all over my body. The ball hit the top corner as the goalie stood in one place without movement. We had come all the way back and tied the score 4-4. I ran towards the flag and fell to the ground. My team followed me and jumped on top of me with such joy and excitement. We had done the impossible. The whistle blew and the game was over. I went to take a seat on the bench because I could not feel my legs anymore. Next to me was my brother. The Saint Joseph’s coaches said they really liked what they saw and we gave a hell of a show. They looked at us and asked, “Do you think we can come over your house and talk about what we have to offer?”. Without hesitation me and my brother said, “YES”. As they entered my house my mom quickly rushed over, and told me to translate and ask them if they want anything to drink. As I did, my mom rushed over to the kitchen and made 2 cups of coffee. As they started to drink their coffee we got to know ech other more and more. I translated every time my parents had to say anything to them, and if they had anything to say to my parents. We sat in the living room where there are three couches and a big painting hangs up from the couch right in front of the TV. They were sitting on the one by the window. The sun shined behind them and it seemed to get brighter every time they had something to say. My parents always reacted late to their jokes because I had to translate after they said anything. They enjoyed the coffee my mom made a lot. Then they said, "Let's get down to business, and talk about what we really came here for." I felt as if the room was shrinking. "We really liked what we saw, and we would like to offer you and Donny full rides to play for us." When the words full ride were said it was as if there was an echo in the room because that’s all I heard for a straight 5 minutes. My parents did not react at all because I hadnt had the chance to translate what my coaches said. I was still taking in the full ride sound. The coaches were very confused at why my parents were not reacting. I translated what they had said to my parents, and both of my parents started crying. They know how hard I have been working for moments like this. I gave my mom and dad the biggest hug, and the coaches left. We had finally made it. |
AuthorHello people that are looking at this. My name is Defrim, and I love motivating others. Welcome to my blog(grind). Archives
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