Growth Mindset Teaching Resources
Help students build a growth mindset with teaching resources designed specifically to help establish a growth mindset for kids in elementary and middle school.
Created by teachers, for teachers, each worksheet, motivational classroom poster and activity in this teaching resource collection has undergone rigorous review by the Teach Starter team to ensure it's ready for the classroom ... and your students!
Still learning about the growth mindset and wondering how it applies to kids in your classroom? Read on for some tips from our expert teachers!
What Is a Growth Mindset in the Classroom?
The growth mindset concept — and its counterpart, the fixed mindset — come from the research of Dr. Carol Dweck, a Stanford University professor known for her work on the implicit theories of intelligence. Dweck's research surmises that your mindset falls somewhere on a continuum according to your implicit views of where ability comes from.
Those who believe abilities are innate are said to have a fixed mindset, while those with a growth mindset see learning as a process and understand that we develop over time with learning, hard work, and persistence.
So how do you define a growth mindset for kids?
Broken down to be easily understood by your students, a growth mindset can be defined as the belief that you can develop your brain to be better and better at different skills through a mix of effort and different strategies.
Kids with a growth mindset can see failures as learning opportunities and push past them. This is often compared to a fixed mindset, which hampers kids who feel like their intelligence and abilities can't substantially be improved. A fixed mindset can frustrate students, while a growth mindset offers opportunities to grow.
Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset
Here's how Dweck herself described the fixed mindset vs. the growth mindset in one interview: "In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset, students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching, and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it."
Dweck posits that over-praising kids for being intelligent ends up leading to a fixed mindset, with kids afraid to take risks lest they make mistakes. And there are very real impacts.
One study that looked at the student mindset and student performance looked at 10th graders in Chile: Those who held a growth mindset were three times more likely than their peers to score in the top 20 percent on national achievement tests. On the flip side, in that same study, students with a fixed mindset were four times more likely to score in the bottom 20 percent!
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Growth and Fixed Mindset Poster
Help your students decide which type of mindset they currently have with this poster.
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Self-Esteem Flipbook
Explore the topic of self-esteem with your students using this engaging flipbook template.
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The Science of Independent Learning – Individual Posters
Help your students become independent learners with this set of 8 strategy posters.
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The Power of YET Poster Set
Encourage your students to change their growth mindset with this set of posters.
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Growth Mindset Flipbook
Explore the topic of growing your mindset with your students using this engaging flipbook template.
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I Am Not Always Right Mini-Book
Help your students learn how to cope when they make a mistake with this social story mini-book.
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The Magic of Independent Learning – Individual Posters
Help your students become independent learners with this set of 8 strategy posters.
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Growth Mindset Teaching Presentation
Help your students develop a growth mindset with a Growth Mindset Teaching Slide Presentation.
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Growth Mindset Bookmarks
Encourage your students to think about their growth mindset with this set of printable bookmarks.
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Growth Mindset Interactive Activity
Engage students in spending time looking at how to grow their growth mindset with this interactive activity.
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Growth Mindset Bulletin Board
Remind your students to have a growth mindset with this bulletin board display.
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Growth Mindset Game
Practice self-reflection through a series of questions that allow students to actively participate in developing a growth mindset.
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Growth Mindset Dice Game
Download a growth mindset dice game where students use "yet" strategies to solve a problem.
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Growth Mindset Posters - Captain Yet's Joyous Journey
Remind your students what a "can-do attitude" looks like in the classroom with this set of 8 posters.
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Developing a Growth Mindset Worksheets
Help your students develop a growth mindset and set achievable goals with a printable pack of growth mindset worksheets.
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Growth Mindset Worksheets (Grades K-1)
Print these growth mindset worksheets for kindergarten and first grade to learn about I Can and I Can't while practicing handwriting.
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When You Enter This Classroom - Door Decor Display
Welcome your students into your classroom with ‘When You Enter This Classroom” Door Decor.
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Growth vs. Fixed Mindset Statements - Worksheet
Assess student understanding about the different statements that one might say to distinguish between having a growth or fixed mindset.
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Just Be - Positive Character Traits Bulletin Board
Set an optimistic tone and promote positivity with a Just Be…One Word Back to School board.
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Positive Self-Talk Poster: Talking to Myself
Highlight the benefits of positive self talk and having a growth mindset with this classroom poster.
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Growth Mindset Exit Tickets
Assess your student's understanding of everything growth mindset with this set of exit tickets.
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Let's Look at Self Esteem Interactive Activity
Boost your students' self-esteem with this fun and engaging interactive activity.
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Personal Strengths Paper Chains
Explore individual strengths with this fun paper chain activity.
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Ways to Build Self-Esteem Classroom Poster
Nurture your students by providing them with simple ways to build up their self-esteem with this set of classroom posters.
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Growth Mindset Mini-Book
Teach your students about growth mindset with this printable book, perfect for your social emotional lessons!
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Growth or Fixed Mindset Sorting Activity
Help students understand the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset with this sorting activity.
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Growth Mindset Classroom Discussion Cards
Explore growth mindset with your students with this set of discussion prompts.
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Growing GRIT Writing Template
Encourage students to think about what grit is and words that describe grit with this craft template.
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Growth Mindset Worksheet Pack
Help students change their mindset to a growth mindset with this set of worksheets.
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National Dot Day Printables - Codebreaker Worksheets
Crack the code and decipher the growth mindset quotes with a fun International Dot Day codebreaker worksheet.
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Growth Mindset Brag Tags
Celebrate students using a growth mindset with a set of printable growth mindset brag tags!
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Are We There Yet? – Growth Mindset Progress Chart
Help your students develop a growth mindset by reflecting on their learning progress with this progress tracking chart.