In order to foster equity, we need to help our students to build a Self-Efficacy Mindset. This is not a magical process, it requires time and consistency, however, I believe it could, it will be transforming.
With purposeful messages that focus on the growth, in the process, and value taking risks along with consistent conversations and modeling lessons about brain plasticity, we can assist our students to become aware of their learning, progress and achieve a Self-Efficacy Mindset.
Micro affirmations are continuous messages that celebrate not just the achievement, but the process, the risk, and the reflection of learning. These messages empower students and freed them from fear of failure. The key is that we as teachers have to internalize them and make it a habit. Throughout this year, I was purposeful in my statements when we debriefed work, quizzes, and activities celebrating the progress, the risks, analyzing mistakes. I was intentional too when commenting on work samples. The Kudo's Cards were a great tool to recognize those efforts, they focus on collaboration, creativity, learning from mistakes, persevering through difficulties. Students place them on the wall with pride!
I tried my best to normalize making mistakes because we can learn from them. As a class, we built a repertoire of things that were once difficult or confusing, but that we overcame. These examples strengthened our belief that we would master the next difficult task. Right there is where the lessons (simple) on Brainplasiticity kicked in. Simple as the more your practice, your brain remembers the path. "It's like a highway in your brain!" shouted one student once. And voila! That image stuck with us, that is how the Brain Power mural came to be. We used it to "light a bulb" every time we mastered or felt confident about a topic.
It has been delightful to listen students talk about their learning, proud of their mastery, of their growth, and encourage each other to continue and persevere.
