This week one of the themes we talked about was the power of having a positive (growth) mindset. We started off watching a quick YouTube clip about all that we have learned since we were born, https://youtu.be/JC82Il2cjqA. We then brainstormed things we could not do five years ago, but now feel like we can do. Some examples were ride a bike, tie shoes, read, rollerblade, throw a ball, write a story, draw a picture, ski alone and cook. After that, we reflected on things we could not do last year, and finally we thought about things we are learning right now. It was powerful to see how far we have come since five years ago. We are always learning new things and challenging ourselves in new directions.
Our second Mindset lesson was about how our brain works. We read the book Our Fantastic, Elastic Brain. It is a kid friendly book that focuses on the science behind our brain and what happens when we make mistakes- our neurons grow and connect! The book also talks about the power of practice and not giving up. We shared things that we were good at and talked about how we got there. The common theme was practicing, learning from others and not giving up. Finally we watched a quick clip that reinforced these themes and showed neurons growing. https://youtu.be/ElVUqv0v1EE
Students also worked on pushing ourselves about of our comfort zones and taking risks as we read Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. Students we asked to brainstorm all the things they could create out of their box. Students were pushed to think beyond the obvious of a chest or a suitcase. This proved hard for some of us! Once they had brainstormed, they used their list to narrow down one thing they we re going to make out of their box, why they chose that thing and what additional items they might need to transform their box into the item. Students are still working to add the finishing touches onto their newly created items!