A growth mindset indicates a belief that a person can improve a skill or competency with effort and persistence. A person with a growth mindset embraces challenges, persists through obstacles, views effort as the way to grow, learns from failure and criticism and seek out inspiration in others’ success. The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. A PDF version of the Milestone can be found to the right, alongside a bibliography of sources that contains scholarship on Growth Mindset and ideas for classroom implementation.
Growth Mindset Milestone
| Sub-Competencies | Novice Learner | Intermediate Learner | Competent Learner | Exceptional Learner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and seeks out stretch tasks and projects | Rarely embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and seeks out stretch tasks and projects. | Sometimes embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and seeks out stretch tasks and projects. | Often embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and seeks out stretch tasks and projects. | Consistently embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and seeks out stretch tasks and projects |
| 2. Effectively navigates obstacles and persists in the face of setbacks, is not discouraged by mistakes, and views failure as a predicate to future success | Rarely persists in the face of setbacks, is not discouraged by mistakes, and views failure as a predicate to future success. | Sometimes persists in the face of setbacks, is not discouraged by mistakes, and views failure as a predicate to future success. | Often persists in the face of setbacks, is not discouraged by mistakes, and views failure as a predicate to future success. | Consistently persists in the face of setbacks, is not discouraged by mistakes, and views failure as a predicate to future success. |
| 3. Puts forth full effort and views effort as a path to mastery and understands that talent can be developed through effort | Rarely views effort as a path to mastery and understands that talent can be developed through effort. | Sometimes views effort as a path to mastery and understands that talent can be developed through effort. | Often views effort as a path to mastery and understands that talent can be developed through effort. | Consistently views effort as a path to mastery and understands that talent can be developed through effort. |
| 4. Responds well to failure and feedback and learns from failure and criticism and uses feedback constructively | Rarely learns from failure and criticism and uses feedback constructively. | Sometimes learns from failure and criticism and uses feedback constructively. | Often learns from failure and criticism and uses feedback constructively. | Consistently learns from failure and criticism and uses feedback constructively. |
| 5. Finds lessons and inspiration in the successes of others | Rarely finds lessons and inspiration in the successes of others. | Sometimes finds lessons and inspiration in the successes of others. | Often finds lessons and inspiration in the successes of others. | Consistently finds lessons and inspiration in the successes of others. |