The Power of Yet
Mindset is the key to unlocking education. The power of yet is still a very subjective topic in education that is sweeping through schools and professional development. In my classroom alone I have purchased resources to help change mindsets of students. It is the belief that you can achieve whatever obstacle is put in front of you.The belief you can learn even when it becomes difficult. It is a type of perseverance. What is learning? How do you empower a young child's learning? Change their mindset and don't close the door on their learning. Enrich students by your belief that they can do anything.
The power of yet is the realization that students aren't there YET but they will BE. They have the ability to learn and to push through. Using different language/verbiage to get your students to realize their potential. If they are able to start changing their mindset on their own they are able to change all the opportunities put in front of them.
Students having a growth mindset means that they are willing to grow and that they are able to take struggles, challenges, and set backs as just a minor part of learning while a fixed mindset is a mindset that stops. A mindset that says I can't do it and it stops the learning when it comes to a struggle, challenge, or set back.
I experience this with children when it comes to reading in my class. Reading is about fluency and comprehension and even the stamina to focus on one item for more than ten minutes. This can be hard for students. They shut off if they struggle with a word. They shut off if they are not immediately captivating. They say things like "I hate reading," when in reality it can just be difficult to use their mind in this way.
Choosing the right materials/differentiate
Say things during their reading/discussion/probing questions that talk about their skill of reading.
Giving variety to reading methods to slowly help them build on their skills
I also face this with writing in my classroom. Writing can be so open ended and it is hard to find the right formatting. Seventh graders can be clueless when it comes to their progress. I have a way to jump from paper to paper and give feedback. I say things like...
You are on the right track
This paragraph has a great setup add a little more detail
You are getting it
You are almost there
Using The Power of Yet can is a change in language and communication with our students. What I have found is that more often than not I am unitizing this skill. Educating students on it and giving them the key can help them further understand themselves. It is all choice when it comes down to it. It is their choice to see that they have it in them. I am just the positively reinforcing it. It needs to be continuously worked on and it can be hard to measure.
