Continuing to bring you thoughtful commentary from a variety of sources, Immersed presents the second annual guest blog post from The New Century School‘s Head of School Alicia Danyali.
This summer, I came across a book that spoke to me personally and professionally. In fact, I loved the messages it shared on every page so much, I found myself carrying the book around in my purse and sharing the title and its contents with anyone who would listen. Although the subject matter was not a new idea to me nor was the information presented unfamiliar in any way, in reflection, the message was a reminder of how I want to live my life to its full potential and share these sentiments with everyone I come in contact with, and hope they “jump on my bandwagon.”
The book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (How We Can Learn To Fulfill Our Potential), by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. is not a new concept or theme among humans, but instead, a much needed reminder as we all tend to get “caught up” in the hectic, overstimulating world in which we live to take the necessary time to think through how our words shape potential and the messages we send, starting with ourselves.
As TNCS Head of School, and someone who has dedicated the majority of my working years to education, this paragraph from Mindset spoke to me more than any other:
As parents, teachers, and coaches, we are entrusted with people’s lives. They are our responsibility and our legacy. We now know that the growth mindset had a key role to play in helping us fulfill our mission and in helping them fulfill their potential.
Believing strongly in these ideas, I am continually finding ways to integrate them into the curriculum. Thus, during our next Professional Growth and Development Day on October 21st, the elementary and middle school teachers will have the wonderful opportunity to participate in a Mindset Workshop directed by Dr. Carisa Perry-Parrish. The growth mindset directly relates to TNCS’s Core Values and our mission of embracing and celebrating a healthy belief in self in the classroom and life.
I encourage the TNCS community to view Dr. Dweck’s TED Talk and peruse the Mindset Works website to gain a deeper perspective on this topic. Visit Cultivating a Growth Mindset at TNCS for an earlier Immersed post on Growth Mindset and Dr. Dweck.