To kick off New Student Orientation, all 108 9^th graders and the 5 new 10^th and 11^th graders gathered in Froelicher Theatre for a series of introductions and mini-presentations.  Numerous adults and student leaders spoke to the new students and all emphasized taking positive risks, being open to new opportunities, and expanding one’s academic and social horizons. 

 

When it came time for me to address the new students, I emphasized one key concept: having a growth mindset.  In the short video clip I showed the 9^th graders, growth mindset was described as the ability to see problems “as opportunities to learn” that are “interesting challenges” as opposed to insurmountable obstacles.  Growth mindset also leads to us believing that “new abilities can be developed through practice.”  This encourages the idea that trying hard can actually pay off over time; persistence matters as much as “natural” talent.  I reminded the new students that being successful means stretching out of your comfort zone from time to time and often taking the "road less traveled" Robert Frost wrote about many years ago.

 

Dr. Carol Dweck, the Stanford researcher who has popularized the concept of growth mindset, is just one of many social scientists writing and speaking on subjects around these same general ideas.  The research is clear that having a positive mindset leads to better results in the short term and more authentic lives overall. While this idea may seem obvious, we have not always had the extensive brain research we have now to support it. For example, mindfulness has made inroads in education and in many other aspects of our culture, backed by clear clinical studies that show its effectiveness.  Similarly, Angela Duckworth’s work on grit and Martin Seligman’s guidance of the Positive Psychology program at UPenn both have made tremendous inroads in both popular and academic circles, helping to move this sort of brain-based social science away from the “self-help” realm into more mainstream academic acceptance.

 

Since the publication of her successful book called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck has amended and clarified some of what she originally wrote.  She worried that her work was being misperceived to support the notion that simply trying hard is always enough to lead one towards mastery.  But her research suggests a more nuanced approach and points toward what she calls “effective effort.”  In other words, trying may not be enough if one is trying inefficiently, potentially making the same mistakes over again, or not effectively applying what one has learned from one failure to the next situation.  Effective effort means being smart about the process—and in an academic setting that means giving students plenty of time and space to reflect on their process.  Why didn’t this work the first time?  What can I do differently the next time?  What have I learned about myself as I learner?

 

Learning how to learn is a surprisingly under-discussed educational topic, even if it is the basis for good critical thinking, one of Colorado Academy’s 6 C’s, and a driving goal for many educational best practices.  We need to do more with meta-cognition to help students become better, more effective learners.  Typically, good outcomes will take care of themselves when students focus on the learning instead of just the end product.

 

In short, I encouraged all students new to CA's Upper School to embrace the opportunity to work hard and to seek out positive challenges.  Great things await them in the months and years ahead!