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When I taught Engineering Design to third graders in my second year of teaching, I struggled—not because the concept was too difficult for them to understand, but because implementing it was the real challenge. They actually grasped the concept quickly, but when it came time to put it into practice—like designing a structure to move from point A to point B—that was when I saw a big problem.
These were private school students with abundant resources. They had books, access to personal laptops, time, and materials. But when their first prototypes failed—as we expected it would—they gave up. Despite dedicating time for reflection and iteration, many of them resisted trying again. Some were scared to fail, while others kept repeating the same mistakes, hoping for a different outcome.
This made me realize that the biggest obstacle wasn’t a lack of resources—it was a lack of resilience, the fear of failure. That’s when I began searching for a way to help them push past their frustrations, and that’s when I discovered the power of growth mindset.
How Growth Mindset Changed My Teaching—and My Life
I introduced the concept of growth mindset in my classroom and completely changed the way I praised and encouraged students. I became intentional with my words, shifting my focus from praising intelligence to praising effort. We started doing reflection circles at the end of each class where students shared what went wrong, and instead of shying away from failures, we celebrated them as learning opportunities.
Slowly but surely, I saw a transformation. Students who once refused to try again after a failure began embracing challenges. They started iterating on their ideas instead of giving up. Seeing this shift in my students inspired me on a personal level as well.
As someone who had learned to code at 13 but was told it was too hard for me, I carried that limiting belief for years. I passed up multiple opportunities to pursue coding because I believed I wasn’t “smart enough.” But at 33, after watching a student in my class confidently code, I decided to practice what I preached and apply a growth mindset to my own learning. That decision led me on the path to becoming a software engineer—a dream I had once dismissed as impossible.
Before leaving the classroom, Growth Mindset was the first thing I introduced to my students during the first week of school, and we worked on it for the rest of the year. The experience from my second year of teaching and beyond reinforced my belief that teaching a growth mindset to kids can be life-changing. However, I also realized that simplifying the concept for children can be challenging. That’s why I created a video featuring Brainy Baxter—to make a growth mindset for kids fun, engaging, and easy to understand.
S.T.E.P. Growth Mindset Strategy Breakdown:
- S – Say It Positively (The Power of Yet!)
When kids say, “I can’t do this,” encourage them to add the word “yet” at the end—“I can’t do this yet.” This small shift in language reframes their thinking and turns challenges into opportunities for growth. - T – Take Smaller Steps
Growth doesn’t happen overnight. Kids often get overwhelmed when they try to tackle a big challenge all at once. Instead, encourage them to break the task into smaller, manageable steps. In the Brainy Baxter story, instead of making a gourmet sandwich on his first try, Baxter starts with just bread and cheese. - E – Embrace Mistakes
Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re lessons! Teaching kids to embrace mistakes helps them develop resilience and see missteps as stepping stones to improvement. The more they practice this, the more confident they become in their ability to learn and grow. - P – Patience is Key
Success doesn’t happen instantly. Whether learning a new skill or improving an ability, patience is essential. Remind kids that every expert was once a beginner, and that growth takes time.
Get the STEP growth mindset strategy poster here.
Growth Mindset is a Practice
The beauty of growth mindset is that it’s not something you either have or don’t have—it’s something you practice. Every challenge becomes an opportunity to use the STEP growth mindset strategy, making the process of learning and overcoming obstacles more structured and manageable.
To help educators and parents bring this concept to life, I created a Week-Long Morning Meeting Resource—a full week of growth mindset for kids, available for free!
You can grab it here.
Brainy Baxter: Bringing Growth Mindset to Life
In the Brainy Baxter video, kids follow Baxter’s journey as he struggles with making the perfect sandwich. Frustrated when his first attempt fails, he learns to apply the STEP strategy—breaking the process down into smaller steps, embracing his mistakes, and patiently improving his skills through persistence. The story provides a relatable and engaging way for kids to see growth mindset in action.
I also created a worksheet to help kids practice the STEP strategy—you can grab it here.
Final Thoughts
Teaching growth mindset for kids doesn’t have to be complicated. With the STEP growth mindset strategy, you can give children a clear, memorable framework to tackle challenges with confidence.
By reinforcing the idea that progress—not perfection—is the goal, we help kids develop resilience, determination, and a lifelong love of learning. Encourage your students or children to keep practicing, and watch them grow into fearless, adaptable problem-solvers.
Thank you for caring and for bringing the concept of a growth mindset to your students or children. This one small act can create a powerful ripple effect, shaping someone’s confidence and perseverance for a lifetime. Your dedication to helping others grow, learn, and succeed truly makes a difference. Thank you for making the world a better place. 💛
Watch the full video here and start teaching growth mindset with a fun, actionable strategy today!
Thank you! 💛
Prima from LittleYellowStar
