Mindset Works’ Blog

Based on Silver’s new book, Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book236799/features

Sometimes when I present workshops on mindsets I like to start with a demonstration that relates to the audience.  We either role-play a situation or I read a scenario I want them to react to.  Here’s one I recently used with music teachers. 

Scenario:  Choir Try-outs

            Kyra’s music teacher is listening to individual students sing a short solo piece so that she can decide if and where each might fit in with her choir.  Kyra begins by telling her teacher she has never sung in public before, but people tell her she is a pretty good singer.  Her performance is impressive.  She makes a few errors, but she belts out a simple version of Madonna’s “Material Girl” that is on-key and energetic.  The music teacher rushes to Kyra, hugs her, and proclaims, “Class, today you have witnessed one of the best auditions I have ever seen.  Wow!  Kyra, you certainly have a natural gift for singing!  You are definitely going to have the number one spot in choir this year.  You may take us all the way to the state competition.  You have incredible talent!”

            The music teacher suddenly realizes every other student is staring at her.  She smiles sweetly and asks, “Okay, who wants to sing next?”

My audience usually bursts into laughter as they realize that probably no one will open their mouths after the effusive praise just heaped upon Kyra. And who could blame them?

 Based on Silver's new book, Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed

“You are not the boss of me!” “You can’t tell me what to do!” “I want to do it my way!” These are age-old proclamations from young people who want to declare their independence. Edward Deci and Richard Ryan (Deci, 1995), founders of self-determination theory, believe that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are essential in helping children to become self-actualized individuals. The concept of autonomy is particularly worth exploring because it not only helps build a growth mindset, but it also helps to instill a healthy sense of independence in kids.

Children perceive their circumstances as either autonomous or as controlled. With a perception of autonomy, individuals are willing to do what they are doing and embrace the activity with a sense of interest and commitment. If the situation is perceived as controlling, they will act without a sense of personal endorsement; they feel manipulated. Autonomy does not necessarily mean that one has strictly to “go it alone,” but rather it means that one is acting with a sense of choice and volition. This can happen simultaneously while one is enjoying interdependence with others.

5 Tips on Promoting Autonomy in Learners