What Is Your Mindset?

In the fall, I will be teaching a new course entitled Conquering College. We have found that many students entering college are not prepared, lack study skills as well as the soft skills of being on time, regularly doing homework, turning in assignments - on time, etc. This class is required for every student who tests into developmental math and/or reading.  It has three purposes:

1. To enable students to learn and use Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) strategies necessary for persistence and success at the college level, 
2. To develop a learning plan based upon personal abilities and goals, and 
3. To become more self-reliant in fulfilling academic goals.

During the sixteen weeks, we will spend time focusing on the the growth and fixed mindset. If you haven't heard of the fixed mindset and the growth mindset, I'll summarize it this way - it is our attitudes, thoughts and beliefs about something.

Study the two charts below. In which category do you fit? Where would you place many of your students?

Carol Dweck has done a great deal of research on Growth Mindset. There is a ten minute video on You Tube which is well worth watching and sharing with your fellow teachers. It is called How To Help Every Child Fulfill Their Potential. (click on title) If for no other reason, watch it to discover what 15 years of praising children for their intelligence has done to our students. It is definitely eye opening!

A Go Figure Debut for a Reading Specialist Who Is New

Nicole has taught kindergarten and first grade, is a Certified Bilingual Teacher for Spanish in the state of Texas as well as a Master Reading Teacher. During her two years as a reading specialist, she met with reading groups ranging from kindergarten to fifth grades, in conjunction with mentoring and coaching teachers. Her favorite part of being a reading specialist was getting to know and working with so many unique teachers and students. Like most teachers, she loved witnessing the progress of young minds growing and learning so much in just one short school year.

Nicole describes her classroom as a hands-on, differentiated learning environment where children are encouraged to question as much as they are encouraged to learn. She likes planning engaging and differentiated lessons that reach and challenge all learners. Presently, Nicole is a stay-at-home mother of two small children.

Her hobbies are running, cooking, and baking. She especially likes finding yummy healthy recipes. (I could use a few of those!) She likes spending time with her family, taking her children to the park, and visiting her mom, sister, nieces and nephew. When her extended family gets together, she claims that they are all about cooking and eating!!

Free Resource

Nicole’s Teachers Pay Teachers store is called Teacher of 20. It contains a total of 81 resources with four of them being free. 

Her products are perfect for the PreK-2nd classroom, and are mainly for independent centers/work stations in literacy and math. One of those free items is Word Work for October. It features three different activities – a Zig Zag Puzzle, Roll an October Word and Spin and Jump.

Only $9.99

She also has a 330 page CVC Pack of Printables and Literacy Activities. By purchasing this bundle, you save $7.00. Here are just a few of the items included in this resource.

• 6 student printable books of short vowel words
• 68 "sound it out" 3 piece puzzles with 2 different accountability sheets
• 68 zig zag puzzles with 2 accountability sheets
• 12 color "Spin it!" games and 21 black and white "Spin It!" no-prep printables
• 4 "Write It!" black and white no-prep printables
• A word wall for each short vowel

…and much, much more. 

If you are a primary teacher, take some time and check out her store as I am sure Nicole’s quality and reasonably priced products will save you time!