Your mind is a thought factory: it produces based on the raw materials you feed it, so fill your mind with growth mindset words, so your thoughts will create the reality that you want to see in your learners.
At Dewey International School of Applied Sciences, I hold the post of the Head of Science and teacher for year 6, 8 (science) and year 12,13 (biology) respectively. We are an inclusive school in which many of our students come from French backgrounds. At my school, professional development is stipulated in the teachers’ hand book. Each teacher is required to complete at least 5 pdq courses each academic year. I always did the British council partner school online courses.
I was super excited when I was called upon by the principal and Cambridge coordinator at my school to be a part of the Gordon’s Dewey mentorship program last year (2022). There, I got to learn about Teach2030 online courses; I got very interested and did almost 8 courses in just a week. All the courses were very practical and provided room for practice and feedback. Offering these courses has helped to transform my professional career, classroom practices and the feedback I get from my learners is just awesome. I love trying new teaching strategies and methods, especially active learning strategies., and Teach2030 courses addresses all of these demands. I get a lot of job satisfaction from what I do now because of all the tools I have acquired from Teach2030 online courses – which is life long lasting.
I strongly believe that teaching ends when a teacher stops learning. Being an ambassador of Teach2030 has permitted me to share with other teachers and educators the joy of learning new classroom strategies, improving on our teaching practices and getting perfect feedback from our learners who are best suited for an ever-changing world.
No matter the curriculum we use or classroom size, the teaching methods and strategies proposed by Teach2030 online courses can be applied in every case.
Growth mindset has been one of my most cherished Teach 2030 online courses because it has really helped to shape how I perceive my profession, myself and how I interact with my learners and colleagues. After taking this course, I decided to start using the action plan template I got from the course to prepare for my next lessons and for my personal growth. Anytime I’m faced with a challenge, I check out with my action plans to get things in place. This has helped me to follow up with my classroom challenges.
Teachers being builders of lives and destinies all have to adopt a growth mindset.
Growth mindset was a concept developed by Carol Dweck, a Stanford university psychologist that refers to the belief that one’s abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning. This approach to learning is in contrast to a fixed mindset that holds that one’s ability and intelligence are fixed and cannot be changed. Adopting a growth mindset can have a positive impact on students learning and academic success. When students believe that they can improve their ability through efforts and hard work, they are more likely to persevere in the face of challenges and setbacks. They also turn to be more open to feedback and constructive criticism, which can help them learn and grow.
| WAYS EDUCATORS CAN PROMOTE A GROWTH MINDSET IN THE CLASSROOM |
| One effective strategy is to improve regular feedback to students that focuses on the process of learning rather than just the outcome. This can help students understand that making mistakes and struggling is a natural part of the learning process and that they can learn from their mistakes and get better. |
| Another effective strategy is to provide opportunities for students to take risk and try new things; this can help students develop a sense of autonomy and self -efficacy, and it can also help them discover new interest and passion. |
| Incorporating activities that focus on efforts, persistence and grit also can help foster a growth mindset. These activities involve setting challenging goal breaking tasks into smaller steps, and helping students develop strategies for tackling difficult problems. |
| Additionally, creating a classroom culture that values learning, experimentation and risk taking can also promote a growth mindset. Encouraging students to ask questions fosters a sense of curiosity and promotes a sense of positive attitude towards learning. |
| Educators with a growth mindset turn to have a greater motivation for learning and a more positive attitude towards challenges and setbacks. They also turn to be more resilient in the face of difficulty and more likely to persevere in the face of challenges. |
| Students with a growth mindset also turn to be more open to feedback and constructive criticism, which can help them learn and grow. |
Promoting a growth mindset in education can have a positive impact on students learning and academic success. Educators can foster a growth mindset by providing regular feedback that focuses on the process of learning rather than just the outcome. They can also provide opportunities for teachers to take the PDQ and try new things, encourage corporation between different schools thus incorporating activities that focus on persistence, creativity and culture sharing.
So why not make a decision today? Log into Teach 2030 online courses and begin taking your professional development to a different level. Use the coupon code nacameroon to gain access to any part course for free.
More about Njilefac
Njilefac Atem is a holder of a bachelor’s degree in curriculum studies and teacher of biology at the University of Buea, Cameroon. She later moved to the medical school, worked at the hospital for one year as a lab technician, then returned to the same university to study a master’s course in Molecular Parasitology and Vector Control Biology. She has been teaching biology and science for the past 9 years.
She started my teaching careeer as a part time teacher in one of the government secondary schools in Buea, Cameroon, where she taught biology using the national curriculum (one year). She later decided to try different curricular. Firstly, she taught science and biology in an American school in Douala, Cameroon, (grade 5-12) for 2 years. She later moved to teaching the Cambridge, which she continues to teach today.