The work of Carol Dweck on Growth Mindset impacts our view of students and teachers and how they learn mathematics. Dweck describes a Fixed Mindset as a belief that a person’s qualities, such as intelligence, talent and abilities, are carved in stone from birth. She describes a Growth Mindset as a belief that a person’s qualities can be grown and changed with time and effort. If, as educators, we can approach our students and content with the Growth Mindset in the forefront, we help our students harness the power that lies within their brain. Educators need to look at things like failure, mistakes, high level tasks, and struggle not as a hindrance to learning but rather as an opportunity for improvement.  

Jo Boaler’s work expands our thoughts on Growth Mindset to include the power of mistakes and struggle, the need for flexible thinking within mathematics, the importance of rich mathematical tasks, the teacher’s use of praise and the power of our words, and the need for students to speak about their mathematical ideas. As math educators, we need to embrace the power of cultivating a growth mindset in our students as well as ourselves. We can no longer accept the thought that “I will just never be a math person.” Research has proven to us that all students can learn mathematics at a high level. We, as teachers, hold much power and responsibility in helping our students embrace their growth potential!