Having a Growth Mindset About Academic Language
How can I create a welcoming classroom environment, while setting high academic expectations, for my ELLs?
Carol Dweck writes, "It's not about immediate perfection. It's about leaving something over time: confronting a challenge and making progress (p. 24).
Carol Dweck writes, "It's not about immediate perfection. It's about leaving something over time: confronting a challenge and making progress (p. 24).
- In History classes, students can create a "fixed/growth mindset analysis" of historical leaders during the key periods studied. Students can discuss the historical cause and consequence of such thinking, and use primary documents to support their claims. Students focus on developing a deep understanding of common character trait vocabulary and challenging history-specific words in context for understanding who these leaders were and how those identities might contribute to their decision making.
- Focus question: How might complex identities impact human decision-making?
- In Reading and Writing classes, students will create portfolios that demonstrate their ability to collect, understand, interpret, and connect information about the world around them in order to develop a "fixed/growth mindset analysis" of characters in their independently-selected readings. Students utilize benefits of "flash feedback" and instructional emphasis on executive functioning and self-regulation skills. Writing and reading strategies are explicitly taught through the Visible Thinking strategies. There are a variety of graphic and information organizers used to guide students in demonstrating their thinking.
- Focus question: How might reading widely contribute to intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth?
Reading and Writing Portfolios
From my Darwin International Academy Saturday Reading and Writing Classes.
