Growth Mind Set- A question I can't answer

When I started to write this I was thinking along the lines of explaining what both meant and how it related to me. As this was also a challenge as part of #edchatNZ to blog about Mind Set a few other teachers have already given great definitions and explanations that I felt I would just be repeating (here. and here) Then it got me thinking. Why is it in some situations we can easily move from a fixed to a growth mind set, even when the challenge or situation could be beyond our expertise or comfort?

And is frustration, stubbornness, annoyance (a lot of those negative words which to be honest are also positives) a fixed mind set or is it important to have to develop your growth mind set?

I use my son for example. For Mr 6 loves the skate board park. We have spent most of the holidays down their ‘hanging’ out. He watches with awe as the teenage boys do trick after trick on their scooters or skateboards and spends hours later reminiscing how wonderful they were. This set off his determination to be able to do what they can do.

So he spends time watching and then gives it a go. Of course many of the moves they can do are beyond him and this is where frustration set in. The scooter is flung onto the ground with the usual chorus of ‘I can’t do it’. Yet, as much as he is frustrated and annoyed, he still gets back up and tries again and again and again. At one point he spent over an hour just trying to perfect one move.

People talk about Growth Mind set as reflecting and looking at different ways to approach the task. While fixed Mind Set will only see it one way and not make any changes or decide that they can’t do it.

What got me was how determined he was to succeed with this task. Even though it took him ages and there were the occasional tears, a few grazes and a lot of sweat he would not give up. Once he achieved the first ‘trick’ he didn’t give in but moved onto the next challenge. To the point in the space of three weeks he had achieved everything he hadn’t been able to do at the start.

Now if you gave him the task of writing a story it would be a whole different ball game. He would give up straight away. So why does Mr 6 have such a different mind-set to this?

Yes, I know everyone has fixed and growth mind sets but even at the start Mr 6 struggled and found all the tricks extremely hard. But what was it about that particular task that made him persevere? He was as stubborn, annoyed and frustrated at the skateboard park as he is with writing. Yet, he never stopped trying and wouldn’t give up.

 What changes in him where he thinks he can achieve it that doesn’t when it comes to writing? And I wonder how many other children are like this?

Day 2 of 28 days of writing.