Who is ready to implement growth mindset groups??! This post will recap (or preview if you are reading this early) my ASCA 2019 session July 1st at 2:45 pm. Some of the group curriculum can be found in the books Mindset Matters or Integrating Growth Mindset in Schools. Other groups presented will be out of the box formats… because as practitioners we have to have a growth mindset about how we deliver small groups, right?
Now…onto the clickable hyperlinks of things you can integrate into your small group sessions. (Please note that this post will expand as ASCA gets closer).
Group Selection: How do you select the students to serve in group? Most of use data, teacher referrals, student self-referrals and I use the information I get from Minute Meetings.
What is the “type” of group? This is where we need to think out of the box a bit. So…. here’s the deal. No matter what the “type” of group you are running (anxiety, anger management, friendship, attendance, self-control)… Growth Mindset lessons can be the intervention. The research supports social and academic benefits. So voila, WHATEVER the group you set out to run, it CAN be a Growth Mindset Group. It is important to do skill building on the concepts of the power of yet, neuroplasticity, and learning from mistakes. Within this framework… we can help students adopt a growth mindset.
The 1st session of Small Group: No matter which type of group you are facilitating, there are several best practice things to do in your first session. #1 Everyone introduce themselves with an icebreaker of your choice. #2 Review Group Rules (see the Group Rules Poster download here) If you want students who come early to hang out at a brain station, here is where to buy brain gadgets. It is also important to establish routines of starting and ending group for each session.
MINDSET Matters Group: This is the first growth mindset group I facilitated. I like creative chaotic structure. The structure in my growth mindset groups is assisted by using the following acrostic.
Each letter in the acrostic represents the topic we will cover in group. (Using Mindset Matters Curriculum, 2016)
Other types of Growth Mindset Groups are:
Peer Helpers/Mindset Mentors: Click for more info, but also note the scope and sequence of this peer leadership growth mindset group. (Note: In the training session you teach the mentors the gm language to use with the mentees)
Mindfulness Group: Click for the lesson plan/outline with hyperlinks. (Hint all words with blue font on this page lead you to helpful hyperlinks)
One group we also discussed is OUR OWN PROFESSIONAL GROWTH MINDSET GROUP!! Call it a PLC, PLN, whatever you’s like… but have people to create with and consult with. YOU can make this happen. You can invite others either in your disstrict or on social media to grow your brain! Here are my peeps.
Also there are some Ted Talks that I referenced in my session and wanted to give you those resources.
Seth Godin: Stop Stealing Dreams Ted Talk
Trevor Ragan’s Podcast : the Key to Better Learning (psychological safety!)
These groups will be described in detail in my session and I’ll expand this post as needed! Enjoy the ideas! Contact me if you have any questions,