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Monday, September 29, 2014

MIndset

One of our greatest fears besides public speaking or walking down the street in our birthday suits is failure.  Most people see failure as hitting bottom or as a loss of status.  Some see it as a bruise on the ego, a blemish on the slate we try so hard to keep so polished.  But, failure is more than all of those.  

This video, The Power of belief,  is going to introduce you to a term called mindset.  There are two types--fixed and growth.  Watch this video and determine what mindset you are. 

 Then, think of how you allow your own internal dialogue to sabotage or to empower you.  Does your internal dialogue foster one type of mindset over another?  Does your mindset change or is it consistent?  Explain how your mindset works to help you achieve or halt your progress.  The last thing I want you to consider is how you can change your mindset? 

This post should be about you reflecting on your mindset, and it should be done in about two paragraphs.   

48 comments:

Paul S. said...

I’d like to think that I have a growth mindset. I feel that I was raised to think that you can learn from any and all mistakes. I still think this way and accept failure just as easily as success. I see that all failure is is a lesson that you learn from so that you know what not to do. Unfortunately, I think I have slipped into the fixed mindset and that I now tell myself I can’t do certain things. I try to stick to things that I know I’m good at instead of challenging myself.

However, recently, I have been trying to get out of this particular mindset. I haven’t given it a name or label like ‘fixed’ or ‘growth.’ I’ve been trying things that I normally wouldn’t. For instance I signed up to be a peer mediator with Link Crew and I got my first job towards the end of the summer. For me it’s mainly about the attitude I carry in school, at home and in life. Your attitude determines how you feel about literally everything you do. Since people’s attitudes and perspectives can change, so too can their mindset.

Paul Smith
3rd Period

Unknown said...

I believe I have a growth mindset. I was not always as smart as I am now. I used to be scraping by, not knowing how to study and achieve, and in all the easy classes. I put my mind towards doing better, and being better. In high school, I now take all honors classes (accept this one) and AP classes. People may judge and say that we are too good, but the students I surround myself with have earned where they are now; not by just getting lucky.

I know I have growth mindset because I don't brag or say I'm smarter than the rest, but I stay humble and I work harder.

Unknown said...

My mindset is mostly like the growth mindset, I know this because I fail all of the time, but then I learn from my mistakes. For instance, one of my favorite things to do with my friends is play a card game called "Magic the Gathering", where we build specific decks based on rules and face each other with them. When I make and manage my decks I usually end up with a loss compared to my other friend's decks. Yes, every once in awhile I happen to actually win, but from my losses, I can teach myself how to be better. I can change the cards to better myself with or without help from my friends. Once I do, I take notice on what techniques work and which ones don't. It's in this manner that I don't let my failures elude me and that I can improve myself from it.

The mindset I have does not change since my mind is so tight nit. It will continue to improve on itself and learn from its mistakes. Yet, if I were to have a locked or fixed mindset, I would end up ruining myself. My pride is working and working hard to achieve my goals whether or not I win or lose matters little to me. What does is what I've learned from the experience and if the way there was worth my time. When it comes to my mindset, I would not want to change what I have now. Having a somewhat negative aspect on what I do would cause me to see it in a negative light and I wouldn't want that. Especially since I want to help others around me and give them a positive attitude.

Gino Romito
3rd Period

BeccaGardella said...

I’d like to think that I have a growth mindset. My family has always taught me that you can learn from your mistakes. My grandma always told me to “try try again”. For example, I’ll study for a test and when I get that test back, I don’t get the grade I want. So next time I know to study harder and get the grade I really want. Sometimes you can learn from your mistakes, but sometimes you can’t. That’s where having a fixed mindset comes into play. I also feel as though I fell into a fixed mindset.
I hope to change my mindset because having a fixed mindset can definitely put you down. I’ve always been awful at math and sometimes my test grades show it. Although I do study for those tests, I still get frustrated and mad when I get bad grade. I put myself down by telling myself that I will never understand math and as hard as I study, I will never get the test grade I want to get. I know that isn’t true, but that’s what happens when you have a fixed mindset. I think I can change my mind set by taking on challenges and learn from my setbacks and always try again.
~Becca Gardella 5/6 Period

Unknown said...

I'm not sure what I'd say was more irritating between that speaker's accent, and the fact that the only quotes he used were from some random college kid named Josh. With that being said, I can honestly say I can't identify myself as dominantly one way or the other. I do believe a lot of the people around me in my life cause me to be pretty fix minded, but at the same time I always try to look at neagtives and try to transform those into a positive the next time around. The fixed mindset that kind of gets instilled in me ny outside sources helps me to acheive what I do on a basic level, but internally I always make it a personal challenge to better myself. I don't quite see it as beneficial to just have one dominantly or the other, because always looking to improve can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. But at the same time, being fixated by thinking and being encouraged about always doing something right even when it's wrong isn't the best thing either. So that means there has to be an intermediate choice in my eyes and whatever that would be considered would be what I would consider myself.

Unknown said...

I believe that I consistently have a growth mindset and that it empowers me. Growing up, I was always encouraged to try my best and to believe in myself from my family. As I grow older, I continually challenge myself and I understand that set backs are a part of growth. I learn from my successes, as well as my mistakes, until I figure out how I want to proceed in the future. I welcome feedback so I can improve and better myself. I continually want to learn new things because I believe that knowledge is key in life.

I believe that people can change their mindsets over time. In order for someone to do this, they must expand the way that they think, understand that positive and reflective thinking is beneficial, and catch themselves when they are thinking in a fixed mindset and make a point to change it. For some it will come easily, and with others it will be more difficult. But I do believe that everyone is capable of achieving this. After all, Fred Devito said, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” I believe this quote to be true because if you aren’t challenging yourself, you are never going to learn and change your perspective or in this case, your mindset.

Muha, J 5-6th period

Unknown said...

I, unfortunately, have a fixed mindset. The little voice inside my head is always telling me that I won't be able to accomplish a certain goal. This mindset definitely hinders me from reaching my maximum potential.

I believe that people can change their mindset, which I need to do if I want to succeed. To change your mindset I think that you need to learn to challenge yourself and force yourself to grow mentally. This could be achieved by forcing yourself to study more and make everything a little competition, like trying to get the highest grade on a test.

Unknown said...

I believe that I have a mixture of both a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. There are times where I'll make a mistake and I'll learn from that and use it help myself the next time I do something. But there are also times where I've convinced myself that I'm going to do really good at something and I end up failing. When that happens, I let it hold me down and when it comes around for me to do something related to that again, I don't have confidence in myself. For example, a couple weeks ago, I had a horse show. The weeks leading up to it, my rides went fantastic and I told myself that there was nothing that was going to stop me from placing high in all my classes. When the show came around and I got in the ring for my first class I was ready to do good. But then my horse went crazy and I ended placing low. After exciting the ring, I was extremely disappointed in myself and let that disappointment hold me down for my following classes, which led me to placing low in every single one.

My internal dialogue fosters my fixed mindset more because in my head, there's always that little voice telling me that I failed and that I'll do that same next time, no matter what I'm doing. My mindset changed between Growth and fixed a lot but mostly sticks to growth because I always tell myself I have to learn from my mistakes. When my fixed mindset kicks in (as I explained in my first paragraph), it prevents me from succeeding in something I want to do good in when I made one mistake. I can change my mindset by continuously reminding myself that failure is needed to succeed in something you want to be great in. If you don't have failure, you'll never be able to learn and grow.

Unknown said...

My mindset is not constant. It keeps changing and adapting to different situations. It can be helpful never really thinking the same thing from time to time. Perspectives that are not always open to one form of thinking can be considered understandable in other situations. This complete contrast between only two forms of thinking though is rather limited in its views. It acts as if everything is so straightforward. The mind is not so simple. Why, for instance, cannot both forms of thinking be present at the same time? School is a nuisance and a distraction from learning. School makes sure that a person can achieve the right grades and manage to memorize as much as possible before the next test or fit into a certain field of understanding that is standardized. This is not limited to just language arts where grammar and opinions are writing are never the same but also in science. Science is not concrete or else there would be no room for discovery. Standardized tests like the ACT, SAT, OGT, or any other test given out is about how well an individual can conform to the ideas created by those individuals and how those individuals that composed them would handle the problem or situation given. That focus on achieving high scores and conforming to a common idea is what causes school to end up limiting my education and putting me into a fixed mindset. When I am free of that pressure I can watch videos on biology, chemistry, math, writing, or anything else and be inspired for just one topic is too limited and the force of society to limit individuals to their idea that we are all one is disgusting. In the video, Eduardo Briceno said that we need to teach growth thinking in schools. Schools and their judgment based on test scores completely contradict that idea. No matter how one looks at it there will always be a reversion back to how good an individual looks to the rest of the world. Are the test scores high enough, was the ACT score in the thirties, how does the resume size up, are there enough service hours, and the constant question if that appearance is ever good enough. All of these things that colleges and employers look at can be fun. Some books can be absolutely enjoyed the first time they are read, but when the reading is put into a form of work where the person must look at the book as if they were another person then it completely destroys the point of reading. In fact, the book and the wonderful aspects that would be applied to it are obliterated. So there is not just two ways of thinking, both sides are taken in at once. When too focused on grades it all comes down to quick memorization so in that respect learning can be prevented. But that does not happen. If that were to happen then my own intelligence could be negligible for I would have no way of learning anything because for my teachers it always comes down to harsh grading and quick points leading up to a test. So I have a constant ability to use both, usually to a fairly equal amount or else I would have blown off my grades a long time ago.
To change my perspective and way of thinking all it takes is for me to tell myself to do so. If I want to care about something else, then I can do so. The world is too full of things for me too caring of just one area. I love everything and hate restriction. So I feel that it is true that when a person says that they should never say “I cannot do it” and should rather say “I cannot do it yet,” however, the speed of quick memorization is what is put into priority in schooling and so this form of thinking is not really all that cared about in society. I adjust to my surroundings. Both forms can help a person achieve success. My thoughts are up to me and so I change them. I change them to how I see fit. If the world wants me to then I will do as it wants and use a fixed mindset to memorize quickly but at other times, when I want to move forward and surpass those around myself then I will use a growth mindset to understand the logic and reasoning and truly grasp all aspects of my world.
Colton Kemp~1st

Unknown said...

I believe that I have a consistent growth mindset, and this empowers me in everything I do. Ever since I was little, I have always challenged myself to grow and to get better. In elementary school, I wasn't the best study, but I kept trying and pushing myself. Know I am taking all honors classes in high school besides language arts. When I started to play hockey at three I was terrible, but overtime became better and better. I would later try out for a few teams but would not make them. I didn't let that get me down, and kept trying harder and harder. Soon the following season I would make that team, and by the end of the season I would be the top defense men. My mindset works to help me achieve because it forces me to want to get better and stronger.

I do believe that one can change there mindset with a change in attitude. By trying different things and seeing what works for you, or even just surrounding yourself by the types of people who have a different mindset from you.

Pelka 1st

Unknown said...

I have more of a growth mindset. I always learn from my mistakes and grow from them. I learn what not to do and what I should do instead. I always used to think I could never accomplish goals. I have learned since then that I can do anything I set my mind to. I just have to believe that I can accomplish that goal and no matter how long it takes, I always tell myself I can do it. My parents always urge me to do better and that I can do whatever i set my mind to. Another thing that could affect my mindset is my attitude. If I don't believe I can accomplish a goal, I will never be able to accomplish it because I wouldn't have the willpower. But on the other hand,If I believe I can, then anything is possible.
Kilgore,J 3rd Period

Unknown said...

I believe that my growth mindset overpowers my fixed, but sometimes the fixed mindset can creep into my thoughts and halt my belief that I can achieve a certain goal. When it comes to school work though, my growth mindset crushes all of my fixed thoughts. I am definitely a perfectionist; everything always has to be correct, neat, and organized, or else I become stressed out. Because of this, I see effort as the path to mastery, and strive to earn the best possible grades I can. Whenever I fail to reach these grades, I do not immediately believe that I am unintelligent or unskilled; I see it as a way to jump back up on my feet and try harder to improve my work. I have always been taught by my parents, and even my teachers, to learn from my mistakes and to strive for greatness in my abilities. In this area of my life, I would never think of giving up; school is vital for my future and something I should continuously work towards improving in order to become more successful.


Athletics is the area where the minds' powers switch; my fixed mindset now beats down on my growth mindset. I currently play softball for the rec center, and admit that I am pretty good at it. First base is my specialty, mainly because of my ability to stretch and reach for any ball that is thrown in my direction. I have played for about 10 years now and could not imagine being involved in any other sport. Back in middle school though, I played volleyball, and learned that I was not the best at it. I used to continuously beat myself up for my lack of ability, but didn't plan on giving up yet. I went through all of the conditioning that was necessary to play for the 9th grade team, but the thought of not being good enough kept creeping into my mind. There were several times where I would actually sit in my room and cry because I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to upset my family or friends, who enjoyed coming to all of my games, but I did. On the day of tryouts, I finally gave up and didn't go; I was too afraid of embarrassing myself. I now realize that I failed to practice more and become better mainly because I didn't believe I could play for a volleyball team that was more competitive and aggressive than in middle school. The fixed mindset won. I could have changed my mindset though, by putting more effort into the sport and understanding that I COULD get better.

Brooke Klinko 3*

Unknown said...

I definitely believe that I have a fixed mindset. I feel that I am the way I am and the way I learn things and do things has always been the same. I am the kind of person to avoid a problem instead of face it first hand like a growth mindset. The effort I give into things is usually enough to get by. I am not a person to strive extra to be something successful if it is something I am being told to do. For example, when it comes to school work I am not motivated to go above and beyond because most of the time I could give half the effort and still get the same grade. I find my way around things to make them not as difficult for myself in the long run. My mind set is most definitely constant because I have always had the same look out towards things. In elementary school I used to come home crying about how I hate school so much and my mom made me go talk to counselor and nothing has changed I still have no motivation towards school work and it the number one thing I hate in life. The only way that I would be able to change my mind set is to motivate myself to go above and beyond and be a better person and strive to do excellent on things I look at as unimportant currently.
Ally Modie 3rd period

Unknown said...

I believe I was blessed with a growth mindset. This is shown through my perseverance, many people in my life always told me how i could not do a certain thing or complete a certain task. Well my internal dialogue really helped me pull through those words of negativity. I would always tell myself “why not me”, if someone has to do something why not me. I also believe that ones mindset may change from fixed to growth or growth to fixed. Many people go through life changing events that can change ones thinking.

Mindset will either help you achieve your goals or, pull you farther and farther away from them. For example if one has a fixed mindset they can not except failure, once they fail once they are set on failing again. While in opposition if one has a growth mindset, they will fail once and keep moving, trying to grow and find a way to achieve there task. Lastly, to change ones mindset they must listen and be open, they must try new things and meet new people and speak and learn. That is the best way to change anything in life.

Eric Bulic 1 Period

CLuzier said...

I don't believe that I have one particular mindset. My mindset changes on a day to day basis. Some days I wake up more willing to tackle challenges and face fears than other days. Often I catch myself thinking that it's not possible to reach the mountain, let alone climb it to reach the summit of where I want to be in my life. It's important to stop yourself if you begin to think this way. In matters of the mind, perception is everything. It's very easy to let the voice in your head take over and tell you that it's simply too hard to do. What I like to remind myself, is that it IS possible, and if you really want something, try for it, and when you if or when you fail, try again. Each day is a new beginning; if you let the pains of the past creep in to the present, you may never know the bliss of the future.

I see myself as also having a growth mindset because in the future, I don't want to be limited to just one field of study. I want to learn about the environment and how humans can help it instead of harm it, human interactions on a global level, organisms on a microscopic level, the functions of the brain and the studies of mental disorders. I want to learn how everything connects. I realize that this is a lifetime of learning, and I'm okay with that. I believe that one can never stop learning and growing. That the the purpose of life is actually growth and innovation. So when I hear that little voice in my head, I remind it who I am and what I wish to accomplish, knowing that none of it can be accomplished by holding myself back.

Corrine Luzier
5/6th period

Adam_Weber said...

I like to think that i have a growth mindset throughout life.I strongly believe that apart of success is from learning from past mistakes and failures. Without knowing the feeling of failure you truly will not appreciate how great success is. Growth mindset has also been a motivational tool, striving for more and continuously wanting more out of life.

However, failures can be a very discouraging part of life to deal with. Part of life is dealing with the failures and getting back up, not letting one failure get in the way of your overall goal. Everyone has a plan in life until they get punched in the face.

Adam Weber
1st Period

Unknown said...

I believe that I have a fixed mindset. To be honest, it doesn't really bother me all that much. I know I have limits on my intelligence. Though one that thing that does get to me in my fixed mindset is that I do tend to avoid challenges. Maybe I do need to overcome this obstacle. Or maybe just let it be. My mindset is pretty consistent in the fact that I always think the same and never really have that growth mindset. I guess in a way my fixed mindset does hold me back from challenges and halt my progress in life, but by how much? Is it really all that serious? I guess if I really wanted to change my mindset, I could study more, participate more in my classes, take more challenging classes, but I know in my heart that I am not that intelligent. So I don't challenge myself like some do. It's a sad, but real truth. Though I don't let it get to me and just continue on with my life.

Mike Glencer
5th/6th Period

Unknown said...

My mindset is very close to that of a growth mindset. I think this because I put a lot of effort into everything that I do. For example, for cross country, I do not have the natural talent of being a great runner. Through the hard work I have put in, I have managed to push myself into becoming a faster runner.

The internal dialogue that goes on in my head empowers me. There are little voices in my head that tell me all the time that I am not good at certain things or that I will never achieve what I want. I use those thoughts to essentially prove my mind wrong by going out and trying my hardest. My mindset is fairly consistent. I think that my growth mindset is due to how competitive I am. I have been super competitive since I was a small child, and to this day I am still that way. Therefore, I think my mindset is very consistent.

B. Geiss 5/6 Period

Unknown said...

I believe that i have a growth mindset. Whenever adversity sits in my face, i am able to overcome it through hard work, perseverance, and trust in myself. I think that my mindset allows me to overcome obstacles that i am not naturally built to overcome. For example, for rugby i am going to be starting varsity as the smallest forward in division 1, i am not blessed with the size to play the position; however, through a lot of practice and hard work i have earned my spot on the field.

Mindset could make or break an individual. It could determine how much success one would achieve. If one has goals they want to chase but do not think they could overcome some of the obstacles along the way, with that little voice inside their head telling them they can't do it, then they wont be able to achieve it. On the other hand, if that voice inside their head is pushing them forward no matter what happens and they believe that they can truly achieve these goals, then they will be able to. No one will actually know until they are put onto the playing field.

Renfro, B. 1st period

Unknown said...

In the 17 years of my life that i have endured, i'd like to think i have a Growth mindset. Reason being is that everyday I'm learning, from failures that help me correct mistakes in the future. To learning and making different choices that reflect the rest of my day and the future. I use my mind for learning to prosper and creating new ideas and challenges. Some times, when I wake up i feel that my mind switches to a fixed mindset, to the point where my fears take over my life to where i cant do anything. I feel that having a fixed mindset can give you alot of mistakes, like for example i thought i could take a test without studying. I passed with a C. Sure that's passing but I thought i could get an A. Having a growth mindset sets you up for success.

As i would always say
To win, you must learn, to learn you must be willing too.

Danny Lea
1st period

Unknown said...

I would like to say that I have a growth mindset but the truth is that I have both. In the video, he talked about an experiment that involved asking kids a question on a puzzle. I would say the results are inconclusive because kids think different every day. We face new and different changes every day, and all those changes affect everybody different. There are some days where you want to try and then there are others where you want to be lazy and do nothing. I would say I have more of a growth mindset. Most of the time I want to learn new things and improve on the ones I did wrong.
It is hard when someone tells you “that you did badly” or “you could’ve don’t better”. Everyone knows I cannot say my r’s. So when people tell me that I should not be a lawyer or do anything to talk in front of people I push myself harder to prove them wrong. I work harder and try to learn more so I can get there one day. I tell myself that it is okay and that I should be happy about who I am. What I have is unique and makes me a better person. There is not much you can do to change your mindset. At least it is not something you can change. The only way it changes is by the atmosphere around you. The different elements that change your perspective on things.
-Alexa Shaneyfelt 3rd period

Unknown said...

I think that I have a little bit of both a fixed and growth mindset. For example, if I do something, I give it a full 110%. I try my hardest at mostly everything that I do. However I also think that I partially have a fixed mindset. In the video, he mentioned that people with a fixed mindset say things like, "I can't do it." I tend to say this for example when I am bowling in tournaments, when the stress takes over, and in order to hit a certain score in a game, I have to hit a certain pin. I always say that I cannot hit the ten pin, and I rarely do. I think that me saying this jams that idea into my brain and makes me think I can never do it, so why try? I personally do not think that it is possible to change a person's mindset, because a person will always have that little piece of a fixed mindset, thinking that there is something that they cannot do, even though people always say that they can do anything they put their minds to.

Kathryn Feeney said...

I think that I have a combination of growth and fixed mindsets. When I find something very interesting or fun or it is something that I enjoy, I put everything that I have into it, and I constantly want to do more and learn more about it, which would show that I have a growth mindset. When I don't feel like doing something, or when I'm being forced to do something (such as school work, things my parents tell me to do, etc.) that I don't particularly enjoy, I complain (internally and verbally) about how much I don't want to do it, and then I'm quick to give up when I come across a problem or setback, which would show that I have a fixed mindset. I would like to make an effort to get past the fixed mindset mentality that I have in life, because there will always be things that I do not enjoy or do not want to do.
I don't think a person's mindset can be changed unless it is something that they truly want to do, and even then, they will probably always have a little part of then that is fixed. It is hard to always give everything you have and to not doubt yourself.

Nick B said...

Unfortunately, my whole life I have had a fixed mind set. Whenever I am faced with a difficult challenge, my inner voice tells me that I am going to fail or that I am going to pass; there is nothing in between. This is usually a very powerful and constant voice. It plays a big role in anything I do. There are few situations that I can think of that I have seen from a growth mind set right away. I have struggled in math since ninth grade. I have been in honors math my whole life and I still struggle. Every year, I would think of the previous year and know that I would probably do bad again. This is not healthy and I am not very happy that I thought that way. This is the first year that I've done so well in math. Right away, I got an "A" on the first math test, and for the rest of them I've gotten "A's" on them as well. I believe this is because I have a fixed mind set and that since I got one "A", I can get more on the next tests.

I believe that my fixed mind set halts my abilities and helps them. A lot of the time, I know when I am not going to do a good job on something. Since I have a fixed mind set, I usually do not do great thinking already that I am going to fail. On the contrary, if I know that I am going to do well on something, I usually do amazing. I know that it should be easy for me and I never let myself fail. I desperately need to change my mind set if I wish to get better at the things I am not good at. I think a way that I can change this unhealthy habit is to try harder to suppress my inner voice. It is a very powerful and important thing to me, but the way I think is not the right way to think. I need to focus on believing that I can do anything if I set my mind to it. I need to know that I am not going to fail right away, and discourage any further effort. Knowing that, I will achieve the growth mind set I am looking for.

Bloxsom, N. 5/6th period.

Unknown said...

This video lacks a great deal of creditable sources to indetify whether or not this is a science or a belief. I must say that I struggle to classify my mind as one or another. This is because I believe my mind set and how I react to things is based on a great variable of emotion.
With all of that being said I believe I Have a fixed obedient mind set. The reason I say obedient is as a race the way we value and look at things in our mind is or was greatly impacted by what we were taught as children. The fixed mind set is mine bc ones I achieve something like say an A in a test I then expect to get one each time. I believe this whole theory of mindset is just a fraud behind our own power to just go out and do. It's not a question of being in a wrong mindset it's having the ability and strive or want to go ahead and achieve it.

Dillon Ulisses 5-6

Unknown said...

After watching this video, I believe that I have my growth mindset overrides my fixed, but it all depends on the day or situation. When I was little, my parents always said “if at first you don’t succeed, try try again”. With that being said, I was always taught that it’s okay to make mistakes. Not that I should try and make them all the time, but that I should get back up and just try again. Yes, people don’t always look at failure as a good thing, but how would we learn and grow if we don’t mess up? Now if there is a challenge I am faced with that I fear is going to be too hard or that I’m not ready for, my fixed mindset will try to jump in and stop me from believing in myself, but I have learned that it’s good to push yourself. Throughout my high school career I have placed myself in honors classes and have done really well, but these last two years I have decided to take AP classes. This is part of the growth mindset because I’ve had to really step it up in order to change my study habits. This change is very much needed to improve my life and to help me become more successful.
I believe that people can easily change their mindset. For someone to make this change, they must look at things with different perspectives and reflect on how they react to certain situations. For example, my mom would always tell me that I can’t keep looking at all the negatives. If I have a negative thought I must turn it into a positive thought. This is just a slight change someone can do to switch their mindset from a fixed to growth. This might be hard at first, but the outcome could bring a successful change to someone’s life.
-Winston. S 5/6*

Unknown said...

There are two different types of mindsets, fixed and growth. I like to think that I have a growth mindset. A growth mind set means to allow oneself to learn from experience and do better the next time and never give up on goals. From the day I was born I was taught that if something does not work out the first time, try again. This could happen in sports, school, or just everyday life experiences. I would consider my mind set to be constant. I think this because whenever I have a bad day because I did not accomplish what I was striving for, my parents would always encourage me to not give up because this is what I really want, and that is what kept me going.
When I was little playing softball for the rec center team and I moved up a league, I would always try my hardest to hit it over the fence for a homerun. I would try and try and it would not happen. My parents would always cheer me on and encourage me, and one day, I hit it over. That feeling is the best feeling in the world to know that what one has strived for was accomplished. All my years after that I kept hitting them and hitting them for a total of fourteen in two month’s time. This mind set is also true with academics in grade school, always trying to get honors and never giving up until I reached my goals. This mind set helps me achieve my goals because I know the amazing feeling when the goal is accomplished and that means the world to me. The mind set one has can change with environment, if no one in your household or friends achieve greatness, I believe they will not either.
N.Pozna 5/6

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

My mindset is close to a growth mindset. I say this because I put a lot of effort into everything that I do. For example, for school, I do not have the natural talent of being a smart student. Through the hard work I have put in and the stress I went through, I have managed to push myself into becoming a better student.

Unknown said...

I believe I have a growth mindset. Since I was little I feel I have had that kind of mindset. I would always challenge myself and still do. An example of that is I took AP Bio this year because I wanted to learn more and improve on my knowledge. I challenge myself because I know down the road it will benefit me. Another reason I know I have a growth mindset is because if I make a mistake I will learn from it. One time I didn't do something for my mother and she wouldn't let me go out with my friends so ever since then I did what she asked. Also if someone tells me something I'm doing is wrong or not what I should be doing, I will take what they say in a positive way. I don't take criticism as a bad thing I take it as a good thing. If I fail at something I know it's not because of my intelligence I know it's because the lack of effort I put in and then next time around I will put more
effort it. I like having a growth mindset because I am always down to learn new things even if I am unsure about it. Throughout the last three years of high school I have learned many new things. I know what I have learned is going to help me be successful even going through with college next fall I am ready to make it great. I see everything as an opportunity for success. If I had a fixed mindset I don't think I would be so confident with who I am.

Unknown said...

very easy choice. growth mindset for me me. the reason why i say this is simply because im always working on what i could be doing better every single day. when i fail, i just know its another opportunity to grow from my failures. when i fail, i just ask myself, "what can i do to get better and learn from this" instead of being giving up. Honestly i couldnt careless to what people think about me considering high school is mostly just teens judging one another. high school helped me realize that you should not care about what others think. i believe you can do anything you set inside your mind. their is nothing you are limited to in this world. with effort and determination you can do anything in this life.
having a growth mindset is a wonderful thing. i believe if you have a growth mindset over a mixed mindset, you are just the stronger person. im always trying to grow as a person in life to become the best i can become. i want to greatly change this world. "There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder." -Ronald Reagan

Unknown said...

I like to think I have a growth mindset, even though people tell me I am a pessimistic person. I am not always negative, I just like to think of myself as a realistic person. That not everything will not always turn out amazing, or for my benefit. But, things will turn out the way they should, and not the way that I want them to. I just have to try my hardest, and at some things I have to try even harder. Like school, there are some things that I am great at, like Writing and drawing. But, then there's math which from time to times completely eludes me. But, math hasn't defeated me.
If it did, I wouldn't be a senior now would I?

But, for me. I think it doesn't matter whether or not you're positive or pessimistic. It only matter how much effort you put forth. And that goes both ways for relationships and school.

Unknown said...

I believe that I have a combination of a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. I can very easily put myself down about how I wont be able to do something I want to do. I believe all the voices in my head that tell me I cant do something, and sometimes I let it. I constantly let myself know that I’ve failed and ill keep telling myself, “why try again?” Sometimes, in athletics if I don’t get the goal times that I want when I’m supposed to be getting them, I find myself wanting to give up. Or in school work if I studied for a test and didn’t get the grades I wanted I think that I’m a failure and ill never be successful.

I can also have a very positive attitude towards things. I believe that people learn from their mistakes, and the only way to get better is to keep trying. I am a perfectionist; it something isn’t in the wrongs order I stress way too much and I cant take it. Everything needs to be in the right order or I’ll can’t do it. I believe that being very organized can help me achieve in school and get the highest grades I can possibly get. With Athletics though, its not really an organized thing. In swimming you train for hours a day just to take off tenths of a second. Last season I missed going to districts by .02 of a second. Everyday while I go practice and I start to lose motivation, I keep telling myself that I want to make it to districts.
Krencisz,A 3rd period

Unknown said...

Mindset is everything. No matter what you are talking about it is the biggest factor; academics, athletics, or work. I know I have a growth mindset. With the industries that I work and compete in, I always have to change the way I work and perform. Working at the Rodmaker Shop requires me to expand my knowledge of the fishing world on a daily basis because it is always changing. Furthermore, that also means I must change how I compete in fishing tournaments; outsmarting my competitors and doing things differently than they. I must always be finding new and better ways to perform on the water. This mindset also goes hand-in-hand with bowling. Humbly, I did not become the sixth ranked bowler in the state of Ohio or the Plain Dealer bowler of the year by telling myself I cannot do any better; I worked at it every day and still do. There is always room for improvement.
For these reasons I do not believe I need change in my mindset. With the always-changing industries I am involved in, my mindset is always in a "growth" period.

Unknown said...

The mindset that I have is the growth mindset and I believe it to be true. Throughout my life I have overcome many difficult losses and these experiences have helped me grow in life.
It seems like throughout your schooling we hear many things about growth. We are told that getting into a good college will allow our future career to grow into something big. Life itself is mostly getting through the process of growing up which we face many difficulties and complications with. My mindset of growth is constant and I do not wish to change it. I believe that we can always strive to provide ourselves with a better life and in order to do that we need to show growth by learning from our mistakes and moving on.
Astorc 5/6

Unknown said...

I have a growth mindset because the way I look at things I always believe they can improve in some type of way. My mind set has ambition, always motivated to learn something new. By learning new things you better yourself by fulfilling yourself with knowledge. Knowledge has a lot to do with your daily thoughts which reflect on your mindset. For me I always look at every detail questioning what I can do in order to be more successful. I’ve learned that mistakes are common and you will make them but mistakes are part of success. I allow my internal dialogue to over think often which can lead me to wonder off out of reality; sometimes I catch myself making more out of situation then it really is. Over thinking isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can be a good thing because when you over think you look at the big picture from different angles.


My mindset is pretty consistent I’m always taking in new things, pushing myself towards doing better. I believe that my best can always become better as long as I believe in myself and tell myself I can achieve it. There are times I feel doubt from others but that doubt makes me crave success. I’ve seen the worst of the worst which most people may have not seen. I’ve seen the struggle, and I’ve felt it; I guess that’s what motivates me the most to do my best and become successful but stay humble.

Giavonna Gilbride
5/6th

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

I think that i have a grown mindset because like most people, i tend to reflect on what tasks that i have completed and make decisions on how i am to approach them or similar ones when they come in the future.. even if this decision or reflection is subliminal. I tend to see the things I do in a positive sense but also look at the errors i may have made and try not to repeat them next time.

Fear is a big role player in the type of mindset that I have because technically, a growth mindset or a fixed mindset does not really directly depend on your level of fear or comfort. My point in this being that a person may choose to look on a situation negatively and never grow from it regardless if any fear inducing factors exist or not. Fear however plays a large role as a boost for the lack of confidence already instated in a person. I think that my mindset is pretty consistent because I have learned over lots of improvement and reflection that its better to still point out the positives in a situation when you mess up and keep a positive attitude consistently.

Vadym Gabyak 3rd

Unknown said...

I think I have more of a growth mindset. I don’t always put my full effort into something, but with everything I do, full effort or not, I relate it to past experiences. I look at what I did in the past and how it turned out. I make a lot of mistakes, and poor choices, but I use them to learn and help me with new things. Ive also never really cared what people think of me. I know I have a lot of issues, problems, make bad choices, and all that. But I can’t think of anyone who is even close to perfect. Everyone in some way has things that make them look really, really bad. I just look at everyone as equal, and I only talk to a few people, all of who know they’re full of their own issues and problems. We talk about our flaws, not to judge each other, but to hear each other’s stories and use them to help one another in the future.

The grades I get I don’t really let get to me. I do enough to get by, in some cases I don’t really get by, rather at the last second scrap together enough points to pass by an insanely small amount, or not at all. It’s not that I’m not smart or anything. I have really high potential. But to me, the work I do in say school, doesn’t really show anything. Failing a test on trigonometry, or cell division doesn’t get to me. Getting a C on an essay doesn’t get to me either. I’ve proven I can get an A on an essay very easily. But to me, getting that C doesn’t bother me. I’ve gotten enough Cs, Ds, and more Fs than you can count, but in all that, I’ve seen what held me back in each paper, and know how to change my writing the next time. It makes me believe I have a growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset. To me, the only opinion that matters is mine. Everyone else’s opinion’s I see as judgments. And while I listen to their judgments, I don’t even begin to let them affect my mindset.

Unknown said...


I believe that I have a growth mindset. When I make a mistake I always try to learn from it and grow so that I never make the same mistake again. I push myself to improve more than I set myself back, while also knowing some of my limitations.

Some of my internal dialogue could create a fixed mindset, when I say no to my own thoughts for example, but in most cases my internal thoughts back me up, saying I can do this and I will do this. Depending on the case my mindset does tend to change, but is usually more growth and optimistic compared to fixed. I don't want to change my mindset, but I could by being more realistic in some cases where I should be keeping myself back.

Unknown said...

When I was younger, I definitely had a growth mindset. I would always strive for success in everything I did. Whether it was school, or baseball, I tried my best. And when I didn't do as well as I wanted to, I was upset. But I would not let it get me down.

However, that changed at around 8th grade. I started to really care what people thought of me. When I would fail at something, I said that I just wasn't good enough. I would always take the easy way out. To this day I believe that I still carry that fixed mindset. I try to do the bare minimum in school, which has greatly affected my grades. I'd like to believe that I can get out of this mindset, but it seems like it is too far gone.

Jordan Besida
3rd Period

Unknown said...

I would like to start off by saying that I believe it would be ignorant of us not to admit that we all have, to some degree, a fixed mindset. Some, more than others, but still including myself, believe that others opinions of themselves is something important. I would have to agree that I am one of those people. Though, over the years I have been able to learn how to express myself and grow from personal experiences and from other’s experiences as well. It is the inability of some people in today’s society not to be able to understand and grow from the experiences and teachings of others. Many people are capable of solving some of our world’s endless problems, but they let the fear of criticism prevent their ideas from taking shape.
I have found, mostly from my own experiences, that people are able to change their mindset. This is shown from the progression of self-image. Some change their appearances because society either influences or changes their self-image. It is this behavior that has the potential to halt progress in one’s development due to a change in self-dependence. People now rely on others to solve most of their problems and this hurts a person’s growth because they no longer can see the potential benefit to figure life out on their own. It changes their perspective of life from being independent to dependent. And this is why I believe that the aspect of personal growth is an important one. It is a challenge for those who can’t find a growth mind-set in themselves to strive for it. Everyone has potential and room to grow.

Unknown said...

The mindset that would be closet to mind would be growth mindset. This mindset is very big in my everyday fishing career. It all started when i was three years old and has been with me ever since. This mindset for me has made me a better fisherman throughout the years. This is always made me achieve for bigger and better accomplishments in my career. It makes you strive to be better,try to outsmart the other anglers and fish. Ever since I was little I have always learned from my mistakes. I try to set new goals so I can accomplish them and become better. This has came a long way with me because this mindset always keeps you on your toes. You are always thinking of things that will push you over the edge and be better than the other anglers. Once you start thinking you are better than everyone else then it all goes down hill. Fishing can humble you very quickly and make you think what you did wrong that day do not catch any fish. I hope I always maintain a growth mindset because that has made me who I am today in my fishing career.

Unknown said...
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Aferry2015 said...

I have the growth mindset; I have always tried to have a growth mind set because I believe with hard work and dedication that you can do anything you want. A lot of the time I find it hard to stay in that mindset because of my internal dialogue. My internal thoughts are always you will never be good enough, or you aren’t better than those people so why try. I have to constantly try to overcome those thoughts because I have seen examples from me and other people of what happens when you put your mind to it. So I think that I am naturally a fixed mindset but turn myself into a growth mindset because if examples I have seen in my life.
When I think about these examples they encourage me. Not too long ago I was contemplating trying out for a part I wanted in band I didn’t think I was going to get it because there are so many other people that are better, I practiced really hard and I got the part. Apparently I got the part for my work ethic, the ethic of working hard to get what you want.

Unknown said...

I allow my internal dialogue to not only empower me but to sabotage me. It really varies on the topic. Academically, it empowers me because it gives me the mindset that I can get better grades and that I will get better grades because I know that when I try I can be very successful. In life outside of academics, it can sabotage me when it comes to different experiences and situations that I go through on a day to day basis. My mindset changes, it is rarely consistent. A lot of it depends on outside factors besides everything that is directly involved in the situation. This often brings progression to a halt. In doing so, it gives me the ability to achieve what the ultimate goal. Changing my mindset is something that would be very difficult considering how long it took me to be who I am today. In order to do so, I would have to concentrate on changing it day in and day out until it has become so frequently thought about that it is natural now. Then and only then will I be able to change my mindset.

Unknown said...

I think I can see both kinds of mindset in myself. I get very discouraged with school work when I don't understand it. I think it is too hard and I give up sometimes instead of trying harder. In sports I think I have more of a growth mindset. If I have a bad game or make a mistake it makes me work harder to be better and do better.

I need to have more of growth mindset with school work. I think I have gotten better this year. I know my education is important for getting into college and my future. I need to practice saying that I just don't understand it yet and put more practice into what I don't understand just like my sports.

Unknown said...

I believe I have both mindsets and depends on what. For example, with school I believe my mindset is fixed. I tend to get very discouraged and find it hard to believe in myself when I get something or don't understand it. Sometimes I tend to give up because I can't figure it out and lack a lot of confidence in my school work. Then on the other hand, with the sports I'm in, I believe I have a growth mindset because when I don't get something right away, I keep trying until I get it. I don't give up easily and push myself to my full potential.

To help me get better and change my mindset with school, I will have to tell myself that I really am capable of doing the work and understanding it, I just have to push myself harder and challenge myself more. I have to believe in myself more and understand that I'm a lot smarter than I think I am.
-Amy Bruce 1st period