Question of the Day: "Smart" vs. "Strong?"

As an adult, when I am asked to do something that is out of my comfort zone, I may or may not be hesitant depending on the task. Often times however, I am hesitant because I am afraid of failure, judgement and can be filled with self-doubt. Luckily, as a teacher, I can strive to reverse this feeling that I have and try to instill a sense of resiliency and grit in my students and the culture of my classroom. Peter H. Johnson, author of Choice Words (2004), said it best: "Some of us have to think more carefully about the language we use to offer our students the best learning environment we can."

When I move through classrooms, my ears perk up to comments like "What a good writer you are!" or "That's what smart readers do!" or even "Smart decision!" Previously, in educational books that I have read for comfort and inspiration, my most favorite authors use these phrases in their published books. I have previously used these phrases in my own classroom. However, in the present moment these phrases wouldn't resonate with me so much without my work around Carol Dweck's 'Growth Mindset' work. You can read an edweek.org online article here to get a little taste for her work.

With many years of professional development with 'Growth Mindset,' the most subtle change that teachers can make is eliminating the words "smart" and "good" from their vocabulary. These words can lead to empty praise for students rather than constructive feedback. Making the subtle change to using words like "strong" and referencing "growing the brain" can be easily substituted. Dweck's whole premise behind the 'Growth Mindset' work is to change students' mindsets and how they perceive their abilities. This change in thinking corresponded to student motivation and even boost achievement. Moreso, students who believed that their brain could be developed and grow stronger - a "growth mindset," actually outperformed students who had more of a "fixed mindset" - students who believed their intelligence is fixed. Furthermore, students who have a "growth mindset" also have an understanding of the process that leads to learning which makes me think about the environment and culture that teachers can cultivate in their own classrooms for their students.

Let us be mindful of the daily language we use in our classrooms - it's more powerful than we may realize.

For more about 'Growth Mindset,' here is Carol Dweck in her TedTalk about the 'power of yet' which is another way we, as teachers, can instill a sense of grit in our classrooms just by using a subtle change in our language.

References:

Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success; How we can learn to fill our potential. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.



Johnston, P.H. (2004). Choice words: Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.