A Mindset for success

in your classroom and school

In A Mindset for Success: In Your Classroom and School, Tony Swainston analyses how the ways in which schools currently conceptualise and measure success could be limiting students’ potential to achieve it. It is critical for schools to move away from the many talent and IQ myths that presently exist and to stop categorising students in a way that damages their ability to grow and develop. Tony outlines key practical steps that can be taken in order to do just this, building instead a growth mindset culture in all classrooms and across schools. A mindset for success can benefit everyone by giving more meaning to learning that, in turn, brings greater fulfilment for teachers and pupils. A Mindset for Success illustrates how grit, resilience, determination and perseverance can be nurtured in every child, enabling them to take on the challenges of life and our changing world, which will lead them to greater academic success and personal happiness. By exploring the importance of emotional intelligence and student well-being, it offers a holistic view of the academic and social development of students. Educators will no doubt be aware of the theory of fixed and growth mindsets. That success can be a self-fulfilling prophecy and that attitudes to, and beliefs about, learning and intelligence profoundly influence academic outcomes is well-established. But how do you actually apply this in order to transform learning in classrooms and the organisational culture in schools? Drawing on ideas and research by Hattie, Dweck, Seligman, Goleman and Ericsson, amongst others, Tony outlines the latest thinking about mindsets and explores what schools can do to make a difference. Class teachers will find a plethora of techniques to get the best out of their learners, including strategies for coaching and deliberate practice, and affirmations to increase motivation and autonomy. For head teachers and senior leaders, there is advice about how to consistently involve all teachers, support staff and parents in order to have the greatest impact upon students’ mindsets. A practical guide to changing mindsets in schools. Suitable for teachers and school leaders. Contents include: Part I: Why changing mindsets in our schools matters, 1. The academic and social impact of mindsets, Part II: What mindsets are all about, 2. What do we mean by mindsets? 3. Trying to get better, 4. Support from other research, 5. Using our heads, Part III: How to change the mindsets of a school community, 6. It’s about a culture change, 7. Changing the minds of individuals, 8. Further elements that support success, 9. The benefits of action research, Part IV: Practical activities that change mindsets, 10. Great activities with pupils, 11. Great adult activities – training with teachers, support staff and parents