Growth mindset and the Power of YET have put me on a new course.
In 2017, I began a Master’s program at Vancouver Island University. As I entered the program, I read a book that would change my life.
In Mindset, Carol Dweck writes: “When do people with the fixed mindset thrive? When things are safely within their grasp. If things get too challenging — when they’re not feeling smart or talented — they lose interest.”
I realized that there were steps I was not taking and moves I was not making — because they weren’t safe. They were risky.
But growth doesn’t happen in the comfort zone. After all, my fixed mindset was the reason it took me 16 years to begin working on my Master’s degree!
The Power of YET
As I read about the Growth Mindset I also learned about The Power of YET. You know about the power of YET, don’t you? In our classrooms and for our learners, it sounds like this:
- I don’t understand this Math concept … yet.
- I’m not a talented artist … yet.
- I’m not a tech person … yet.
The Growth Mindset says that anyone can learn anything if they will simply apply effort over time. As educators, it reminds us that we never know the full potential of our learners.
I’m Not a Podcaster … YET
As I continued to read great books and engage in rich education conversations, the Power of YET started to whisper in my ear in another way.
I’m not a podcaster … YET.
You see, as I made the 30-minute commute between Surrey and Burnaby each day, I wasn’t listening to sports talk or pop radio. I listened to podcasts — because I had an insatiable appetite for learning.
I started to dream. Could I start a podcast that profiled great educators? Could I share their amazing ideas and practices with teachers around the world?
Carol Dweck says that we can look back at what could have been, or we can look back and say I gave my all for the things I valued. And so I jumped on the track of content creation with both feet, knowing that as terrible as I was at the beginning, I would continue to grow and improve my craft over time.
Two and a half years, 166 episodes, and over 130,000 downloads later, I can safely say that the Teachers on Fire podcast is impacting the education conversation.
Creation in the Classroom
But how can this passion for creation shape our classrooms and practice?
For one thing, creative activities in the classroom challenge us to move AWAY from cultures of passive compliance.
David Guerin says the ones who are doing the talking are doing the learning. And according to Jennifer Gonzales, our learners need to be DOING something.
In the classroom context, this looks like …
- Agency + Ownership
- Authentic Audiences
- Design Thinking & the Design Process
- Genius Hour + IBL + PBL
- Voice + Choice
- A culture of 5 Cs
So how does creation show up in my 8th grade classroom?
- Through creative representations of learning on Seesaw.
- Through collaborative design projects on Canva, Google Drawings and Slides.
- Through authentic product development, marketing, and sales.
- Through movie making on WeVideo and screencasts on Screencastify.
- And of course, through podcasting, including the Gr8 Expectations podcast. One student is even starting his own podcast!
Educators Have a Mandate to Create
My #OneWord for 2019 was CREATE. Create new content, new learning, new relationships.
But why should other educators take part in content creation? Because content creation …
- Allows us to reflect more deeply on our own professional practice,
- Allows us to share our learning with others
- Allows you to build relationships with other great educators — like Rose and Gabriel Pillay (the organizers of EdVent).
The Teachers on Fire podcast is my weekly Pro D session. It’s my scheduled appointment with great educators around the world. I learn something in every conversation, and every single guest shapes my thinking and inspires my practice further.
So let me ask you: How will you contribute to the education conversation?
Don’t let your fears stand in your way. Remember, growth doesn’t happen in the comfort zone.
We were created to create. So embrace the growth mindset, share your learning, and change the world.
That’s what’s keeping me ON FIRE in my practice.
Teachers on Fire 