One of the best ways to promote a growth mindset is to help teachers get better at receiving feedback. If they can't hear and acknowledge the feedback you give, they can't learn from it and make changes. In this Mini we describe some of the common ways people deflect advice. We call them the Four Horsemen of Fixed Mindset. Watch these with the teachers you coach before you try to deliver feedback, and you'll be able to preempt some of those fixed mindset behaviors, allowing teachers to hear and interact with your advice.
"Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success—but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals—personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area."