All teachers will have heard about growth mindset. Most teachers will have had training in it. But how many teachers are actually getting it right in the classroom? Read our latest blog to recap the basic concepts of growth mindset and follow our 9 easy steps to develop growth mindset attitudes in your primary classroom.

What is growth mindset?

A growth mindset refers to an individual who believes they can develop intelligence. The term was coined by Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford, who noticed during research that children who believed intelligence is learnt are better at solving problems than those children who think intelligence is innate and fixed. In growth mindset pupils there is an understanding that through effort, good teaching and persistence, talents and abilities can be developed.

Want to do more to develop a culture of growth mindset in your classroom? Follow our 9 easy steps for getting growth mindset right.

9 steps for developing growth mindset

1 – Train teachers and pupils – children need to understand the growth mindset concept as much as teachers do.

2 – Integrate growth mindset into the curriculum – it’s a mistake to teach growth mindset in isolation as part of PSHE or in an assembly. It’s important the growth mindset philosophy is incorporated into the whole curriculum.

3 – Praise a student’s thinking – subtle cues will mould a child’s perception of intelligence. Saying ‘you are so good at maths’ reinforces a fixed mindset. Instead, offer praise about the learning process to encourage a growth mindset – ‘you worked really hard to find the answer.’ Correlate success with effort, not intelligence.

4 – Embrace the word yet – failure is an inevitable part of the learning process. Failure provides pupils with a chance to reflect. Research suggests that utilising the word ‘yet’ can shift the thinking of students from ‘I can’t do this’ to seeing problems as growth opportunities.

5 – Teach pupils to embrace failure and celebrate it – part of developing a growth mindset is in celebrating failure rather than fearing it. Letting pupils struggle a bit so they can solve problems on their own is an important step. Teach pupils to embrace mistakes and see them as part of the learning process.

6 – Encourage students to take risks and love challenges – create a culture that fosters risk taking. The more students take risks and love challenges, the more they stretch themselves and make mistakes, which leads to growth and learning.

7 – Pupils must experience success in small incremental tasks – when pupils are struggling to succeed, tasks should be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks to help the student experience success.

8 – Work with parents – invite parents into school to learn about growth mindset. Fixed mindset language may be used at home, such as ‘oh don’t worry I was rubbish at maths.’ Educate parents about this.

9 – Plan lessons to support growth mindset – consider these three key growth mindset questions in your lesson planning:

• Does the work provide the opportunity to learn something new?
• How can I give meaningful feedback?
• What strategies can I use for struggling pupils?

Almost every child gets angry at some point in the classroom. Anger is a normal emotion. But, a child with anger issues is likely causing turmoil and disruption to your class. So, how do you support a child that has persistent angry outbursts? Follow our 7 steps to make a difference.

1 – Stay calm

A child with anger issues needs support. It is vital that you stay calm. Raising your voice will only escalate the incident. A volatile pupil may trigger feelings of frustration in you. It’s imperative that you keep those feelings under wraps and remain calm to avoid the situation spiralling out of control.

2 – Intervene early

Keep a close eye on the child. Simply sending the child on an errand when you can predict a problematic situation could help avoid another outburst. Intervene early and you have the most chance of getting the child to forget what he or she was angry about.

3 – Have the child engage in activities that help him or her to vent frustrations

Drawing, working with clay, and writing in a journal are all activities that may prove helpful for a child with anger problems. Using a stress ball or getting the TA to take the child for a quick walk may be enough to avert pent up frustration. Acknowledge effort when the child is successful in using an activity to release tension and avert an outburst.

4 – Reach out

According to Jay Birch, a primary school teacher and writer for TES, the most effective and simplest way of finding out what might be causing the problem is to ask the child. “what makes you feel angry?”

You need to try and build a relationship with the pupil. Make a special effort to connect with the child. Ask the child about interests and hobbies and listen actively. It’s likely the child doesn’t trust teachers. If you can gain a level of trust, the child may talk to you about what is upsetting them.

5 – Look for patterns

If the child is unresponsive to your enquiries, spend time observing them to see if you can identify triggers. Also, check in with previous teachers to see what they observed. They have more knowledge about the child’s situation. Understanding patterns will enable you to step in and diffuse situations before they reach breaking point.

6 – Ask the pupil to write about what is happening

After an angry episode, and once the child has calmed down, ask them to write down what happened. Get him, or her, to express what triggered the anger, how he or she responded, how others reacted and how they could deal with the same situation differently in the future.

7 – Provide a safe cooling off area

Removing a child from a situation that is triggering anger is the safest and best thing to do. It’s important that the child knows going to a cooling off area is not a punishment – it is a supportive tool to help the child calm down. This could be the school office, a nurture assistant’s office, to another class or to the water fountain or bathroom. Be careful that the child doesn’t use the privilege as an excuse to escalate behaviour.

Teacher wellbeing has been in the spotlight for a while now. Research carried out last year by the Education Support Partnership revealed a bleak picture in view of the current pressures in the education profession, and the impact those pressures are having on the health and wellbeing of teachers. Work-load and work-life balance were cited as the main causes for psychological, physical or behavioural problems associated with work.

The survey of 1, 250 education professionals found the implementation of health and wellbeing policies in the education sector is inconsistent. Education professionals expressed a desire for more support on mental health and wellbeing issues in the workplace.

Headteacher, Daniella Lang, at Brimsdown primary school in Enfield, north London, took the decision to set up a staff wellbeing team, following a troubling time at the school. Problems within the school resulted in two Ofsted inspections, led to redundancies, and left morale amongst teaching staff low. The results of the staff wellbeing plan, she said, have been extraordinary.

Prioritising staff happiness at work has far-reaching effects. As well as greater harmony in the staff room, the process benefits pupils too. Here’s how to get a wellbeing programme started.

1 – Encourage open discussion and look at the hard truths

Create a forum for all staff members to be open and honest about how the pressures of work are affecting them. Consider fairness, consistency and any problems associated with workload.

2 – Start small

It’s far better to grow a wellbeing programme slowly and organically, than to set yourself up for failure with unsustainable projects. Motivational posters and small initiatives to support staff who appear to be struggling can start to bring the focus onto wellbeing. Also, give teachers and support staff the chance to contribute their ideas.

3 – Look at workload and work-life balance

Look at ways to manage workload more effectively, both at school and with marking or preparation done at home. Look for more efficient ways of sharing resources. For example, switching to more verbal feedback, rather than written, could cut down the amount of marking that needs to be done outside of school lessons.

4 – Ensure the leadership team are approachable

Having an open-door policy and supporting well-being practices within the school will help to make your school a happier place to be. It’s really important for staff to feel supported by their managers. Setting up a wellbeing team is a good idea.

5 – Offer tools

Provide opportunities for staff to learn about new techniques to cope with work pressures. Mindfulness activities and weekly priority lists are a good place to start. Cultivate an environment of increased awareness. The earlier problems are identified, the easier they are to resolve.

6 – Encourage increased social interaction

Positive interactions will help to nurture healthy relationships between colleagues. A simple smile and ‘how are you’ can be incredibly powerful. Try to encourage and establish a coaching culture where staff work together to support each other.

7 – Provide opportunities for exercise

Give staff the opportunity to take part in physical exercise, such as a running club, yoga or aerobics class. Ensure healthy options are available for lunch and provide easy access to water, so staff can keep hydrated throughout the day.

A simple wellbeing policy can create meaningful change for teachers.

Despite a plethora of well-meaning interventions, bullying is still a common problem in UK schools. In a recent report on bullying in The Guardian, Elizabeth Nassem, Researcher at Birmingham City University’s Centre for the Study of Practice and Culture in Education, argues that many schools have not had adequate guidance or training on how to tackle bullying effectively.
Nassem, who has been researching bullying for more than 10 years, has found the most effective approach to bullying to be one that involves the pupils themselves. She argues, the best way to stamp out bullying behaviour is to build empathy between those affected.

It is common for schools to focus on the obvious forms of bullying, such as physical aggression, when in fact bullying can range from mild to severe from a whole spectrum of negative experiences. These experiences can be anything from name calling to full-blown hitting.

Involving children and advocating an anti-bullying culture is the way forward. Here are 5 ways teachers can achieve just that.

1 – Improve your understanding of bullying

Look beyond the labels of ‘bully’ and ‘victim.’ Ask the children in your class to share their experiences of bullying. Encourage open discussion about why children might bully others, and how they think it should be addressed. Encourage children to include ostracised pupils in activities. Create an environment where peers want to help each other.

2 – Offer mentoring

Offering mentoring to bullies is essential if you are serious about breaking patterns of negative behaviour. Helping the child understand why they engage in this type of behaviour will help them to respond in a more positive and respectful way in the future. Use role play to help the pupil understand the consequences of his or her actions and see through different responses.

3 – Encourage pupils to find solutions

Consult with children who engage in bullying and with those who experience bullying. Encourage children to talk about how they feel and how they can respond more productively to bullying behaviour or the things that trigger bullying behaviour.

Bullying research expert, Nassem, found in a recent study that pupils writing in diaries regularly were able to engage with bullies and resolve bullying behaviour much more frequently on their own as opposed to reporting the incident to teachers.

4 – Bring students together

When children are in conflict with one another, the underlying problem is more likely to be resolved when the two sides are brought together in a meeting. If the bully is able to explain why he or she is acting in that way, the victim is more likely to be able to play a constructive role in finding a solution.

5 – Create respectful relationships between staff and pupils

In order to create an environment of mutual respect between pupils, there needs to be a culture of respectful relationships between staff and children. Teachers should consistently speak to students with respect and listen to children. Pupils are then more likely to do the same with their peers.

“I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” (Einstein)

Teaching is a highly demanding job. There’s no shortage of challenge and staying positive throughout the school year isn’t always easy. Many teachers come back from the Christmas break feeling slightly jaded from over indulgence, but with every intention of making the New Year a positive one.

Throw in these 4 essential ingredients and you’ll have every chance of making it through the school year with a positive spin all the way to the summer holidays. Concentrate on the conditions and learning will happen.

1 – Be an inspiration

Great teaching can change lives. It’s what every great teacher aspires to do. You can give your pupils as much information as you like, but without an inspiring relationship with your class, much less learning will take place. Find connections with your students and use this to make the material you are teaching relevant. Your aim is to motivate. Teach your pupils to never miss an opportunity to be fabulous. Use your posture, presence and demeanour to support your endeavour.

Being an inspiration shouldn’t stop at the classroom door. Inspire colleagues to stay positive too.

2 – Plan your personal and professional growth

It’s no surprise to learn that teachers who have a growth plan, not just for their teaching career, but also for their personal life, often have greater success with their students. Teachers who are in learning, have a greater capacity to understand the difficulties and obstacles pupils face with their learning.

3 – Practice what you preach outside of school

Being a teacher is a vocation. That’s why many teachers end up doing additional teaching outside of school, such as at a YMCA or a youth project. Even if you don’t have time for that, address how you speak with friends in various situations and use positive dialogue to promote the growth of the teaching profession.

Staying positive inside and outside of school is probably the most difficult to carry out, but a positive attitude is a catalyst for positivity from your pupils in the classroom.

4 – Reinforce positive behaviours

Positive actions need to be taught. Don’t assume your pupils automatically know positive behaviours and what is expected of them. Create a classroom code of conduct to help the children in your class understand positive and negative behaviours. Ask your pupils the ways they like to be treated and elicit lists of behaviours that are respectful, fair, kind and empathetic.

Strengthen the motivation for sticking to the classroom behaviour code by recognising and acknowledging positive actions. Ultimately, you want students to identify with good behaviour and feeling good about themselves.