I would be very interested in what you thought. Feel free to share this link so other people can learn this important lesson, before it’s too late. Copy it from here:

http://www.thekelseys.net/index.php/how-a-republic-dies/2009/01/

So, what did you think?

I was in the gifted program in school.  I was always told I was smart.  I had terrible study habits going into jr. high and high school.  I got by on my smarts.  If I had it, I had it.  Doing homework wasn’t going to change that.  I became a very good test taker.  That showed what I knew, not repetitive homework.  I thought of myself as lazy (still do!), when it seems clear that this is a symptom of the fixed mind-set.

I never liked being categorized unless it was in a favorable way, because you can’t change things.  I liked test scores and IQ tests because I excelled.  But when things got progressively harder I would make excuses and start to “check out” mentally.

I’ve only recently (since 2000 maybe?) began to look at life from a growth mind-set.  Looking at practicing, or trying new things and a different perspective about failure as a mastery activity instead of drudgery.

This article link may not always be there – it was written in November of 2007.  And it is a little academic; it talks about some studies that have been done to show the difference in effectiveness for children who subscribe to these two mind sets.

There is a focus in the article about the importance of deciding to teach this growth mind-set to children as they grow up.  This has been part of my frustration with teaching my own children.  I want them to see trying something as a positive thing.  And to see failure as just a step towards success.  At times they show such fear over trying something they haven’t experienced before.  It can actually see the struggle between the fixed and the growth mind-set taking place.  Now that I can identify and name this phenomenon, it will be that much easier to address and hopefully turn around.

Enough of me rambling on about it – read the article for yourself.  Oh, you don’t read very well?  Well give it a try!  You do get better with a little bit of effort!

Scientific American: The Secret to Raising Smart Kids