the power of proper praise
Dweck and others have demonstrated that praising students for their ability with comments like "you are so smart" reinforces a fixed mindset, while praising students for their effort with affirmations like "great job, I can tell you are working hard" reinforces a growth mindset.
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In the past two decades, educators have worked at building students' self-esteem assuming this would lead to higher achievement. In this article, Chandler challenges this notion stating that this "theory led to an avalanche of daily affirmations, awards, ceremonies and attendance certificates - but few, if any, academic gains."
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In this article Dweck explains the benefits of using praise that emphasizes risignt to the challenge, making progress and stirving for growth. This creates a culture of risk taking that supports a growth mindset and fosters "a love of learning and resilience in the face of obstacles."
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