A Mindset is a ‘belief’ that each one of us has about our talent, intelligence or ability.
Carol Dweck a leading Psychologist from Stanford university has worked on decades in the field of motivation and learning. She has discovered the concept of ‘Mindset’ which she has proved makes all the difference between students who attain their full potential and those who do not.
Mindsets are of two kinds – Fixed Mindset or Growth mindset.
Fixed Mindset is one where we believe that our intelligence and ability is fixed. There is nothing that can be done to improve upon it.
Children with a Fixed Mindset are forever concerned with getting an ‘A’.
They are worried about looking smart always. So, they only take up challenges where they are sure to get an ‘A’ and shun the ones which may involve them looking ‘dumb’. They need frequent validation of their talents with an ‘A’.
Growth mindset is one in which we believe that our intelligence or ability is something that can be increased and improved with effort and strategy. The children with this mindset view setbacks as challenges on which they must work upon. They explore new things without fearing failure. The confront mistakes and learn from them.
Carol Dweck with extensive experiments, has proved that children who are taught the Growth Mindset can show amazing improvements in school. Her findings can be applied to students of all levels. They can be even be extended to adult life. According to her, some simple methods to teach a Growth Mindset are –
- Praise wisely.
Every time a child does something well, do not simply say “That is good. You are so smart”. Instead focus on the effort that the child has put in achieving that result. Praising intelligence or talent can backfire and limit growth. It sends the message that success or failure are beyond our control. The self esteem that they have because of immediate success comes crashing down when they face a stumbling challenge.
- Focus on the ‘process’
The ‘process of learning’ is as important as the ‘result’. It can involve setbacks which we need to overcome by sustained efforts, perseverance, grit or a change of strategy. Effort and difficulty makes our brain develop faster.
- Use the power of the phrase ‘Not yet’
If you ever catch a child saying “I am not good at this” add “Not yet”. It immediately puts the child back on the learning curve.
It reinforces that he has ‘Not yet’ reached where he wanted to, but with the right effort he still has the potential to do better.
Carol Dweck is the author of the book – “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”.
Snippets
Taking a gadget to bed can affect sleep
Light from tablets, mobile phones or TV in the hour before bed can disrupt sleep patterns in students. The effect is felt more in children aged 9 to 15 years. It suppress a hormone ‘melatonin’ which helps control our sleep and wake cycles. So it is advisable for both adults and children to limit the use of gadgets just before bedtime.
Source: Brown University. “Bright screens at night imperil sleep of young teens.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 August 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150826092619.htm>.
Reading to children promotes brain development
Reading to a child especially in kindergarten helps forge stronger parent child relationship and improves literacy and language skills in children, according to recent study in the September 2015 Pediatrics, “Home Reading Environment and Brain Activation in Preschool Children Listing to Stories”. This finding supports the recommendation of American Academy of Pediatrics that reading to a child promotes brain development.
Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/Parent-Child-Reading-and-Story-Time-Promote-Brain-Development-Prior-to-Kindergarten.aspx
Facebook reminders help teens control asthma
Asthmatic teens who received reminders and encouragement from peers and clinicians via Facebook showed better control of asthma symptoms. They also engaged more actively in surveys related to asthma control according to the Preliminary results of a study of asthmatic teenagers at Boston’s Partners HealthCare.
This underlines the importance of using social media to reach out to teens.
Source: http://medcitynews.com/2015/07/facebook-reminders-help-teens-control-asthma/
Disease alert
- Dengue
Eliminate breeding sites
- Cover or turn over all water containers
- Cover unused toilet bowls
- Clean, scrub and replace water in vases, pet bowls, drip trays, feng- shui plants at least once a week
- Do not allow water to collect in potted plants or the plates below
- Discard food trays, coconut shells, plastics or any waste that can collect water in closed trash cans
- Do not dispose broken furniture, tyres or garbage out in the open
Ensure personal protection
- Screen all doors and windows with mesh
- Repair any broken wire mesh
- Use mosquito repellants during day time too
- Wear full length clothes
- Respiratory tract infections
- Stay at home when sick
- Cover mouth and nose with a hanky/tissue while coughing and sneezing
- Wash hands often
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
- Hand foot & mouth disease
Viral disease which spreads through
- close personal contact
- the air (coughing or sneezing)
- contact with feces
- contact with contaminated objects and surfaces
Prevention
Wash hands often with soap and water
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces(toys, door knobs)””
Avoid close contact
Stay at home when sick
“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”
— Robert Fulghum, author