3. GROWTH
MINDSETin art
5 WAYS TO SHIFT
KIDS MINDSET
COLLABORATE
EMBRACE CHALLENGES
PRACTICE
Don’t be afraid to tell kids “that’s too
easy”. Collaborate with them to find
work that is suitably challenging.
Remind kids that success takes work. If
students want to learn to throw on the wheel,
they need to be practicing every day. If they
want to draw from observation, they need to get
out the drawing pencils and paper on a regular
basis.
Embrace the challenges, and embrace
the mistakes. That’s how we learn. That’s
how we advance.
Give effusive praise for kids’ effort–not for
their talent. Students get plenty of praise
for their talent from their classmates and
their other teachers. Show them that you
appreciate the work they put in to their art.
GROWTH VS. FIXED MINDSET
A “fixed mindset” assumes that our character, intelligence,
and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in
any meaningful way. A “growth mindset,” on the other hand,
thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of
unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and
for stretching our existing abilities.
Learning to draw (or sculpt, or paint, or throw on the wheel) is
about practice. And more practice. And more practice. The
more you work, the better you become. If you can get your kids
into the growth mindset, you can get them to realize that work
equals success. All it takes to get kids into that growth mindse
and achieving their potential is a few simple strategies.
ENCOURAGE
EMBRACE CRITICISM
Teach kids to embrace criticism. Do
critiques–both formal and informal–and
encourage your kids to use that feedback and
advice to get better.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
in art
4. THINK LIKE
AN ARTIST
ART MAKING AS
INTELLIGENCE
"I can't draw"
"I'm not creative"
"I give up"
"I messed up, I need to
start over"
"This is as good as it will
ever get"
"I don't care to try this"
"They are so much better
than I will ever be"
"I'm on the right track!"
"I can try my best!"
"Mistakes help me learn"
"This is going to take
some time"
"What can I do to make it
even better?"
"I won't give up, I can ask
for help"
"What am I missing?"
FIXED GROWTH
5. SHOWCASE
STUDENT
"I CAN'T DO IT... YET!"
growth
Mindful Moments activity
My favorite Mistake exit ticket
Praise the process, give feedback
TED Talks: Carol Dweck, Angela Lee
Duckworth: The key to success? Grit.
Videos: Austin's Butterfly, Kid President
Books: Beautiful Oops, The Dot, Ish,
Extra Yarn, The Most Magnificent
Thing, What do you do with an idea?
Fantastic Elastic Brain
Reflective writing, journal prompts
Class critiques
Mindset survey
www.mindsetkit.org
strategies
for the art room