For more years than I can remember, I have lived by the motto, "Improvise, adapt, and overcome." This school year, more so than the last 20 years, this motto has served me well. As a coach and a teacher, I have tried to teach my students that "I can't " should not be part of their vocabulary; but over the years, I have learned that simply adding the word "yet" to the end of that sentence has made all the difference in their motivation for improvement. Over the years, I have seen those students who really grab hold of the "yet" work their way from lower level middle school sports teams to varsity level high school teams--a few even to college teams. This growth mindset is what I try to instill in every one of my students.
As I have gotten older, I have discovered the NECESSITY of maintaining a growth mindset. Without it, I just don't think I would have survived this long as an educator. This pandemic has changed the face of education, and I have watched teachers with a fixed mindset panic, cry, and even quit. Those who continue to improvise, adapt and overcome, still get frustrated ( and maybe cry a little), but they keep pushing through, finding solutions to the problems they run into, and working collaboratively with others to help them along the way as well.
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