The stories we tell about ourselves often reinforce the perceptions we have about what is and what is not possible.

Similarly, the stories other people tell about us can influence, even circumscribe, how we think and act.

Sometimes these stories manifest themselves within language, rather than being described by language.

Here’s an example to show the difference:

• Story described by language: ‘I’m not a maths person. Maths isn’t me and it never has been.’
• Story manifested in language: ‘I can’t do it. Leave me alone. I don’t want to try again.’

In the first example, the story is narrated by the learner.

They are telling us – telling themselves – a story they may have told many times before.

In the second example, the story lies beneath the language.

It underpins the things the learner is saying.

We need to intuit this story, while accepting that what we derive may not be one hundred percent accurate.

If I heard a learner saying something like this, I might surmise that the story lying beneath it is something akin to:

• ‘I’ve made mistakes in the past and it hasn’t turned out well. I don’t want to make mistakes now because I don’t want to go through that kind of thing all over again.’

This same point is true of the stories we might tell about learners – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally.

For example:

• Story described by language: ‘I remember last week when you kept going, even though things were tough. That’s the kind of learner you are. Someone who looks at problems and keeps trying to find solutions.’
• Story manifested in language: ‘Art wasn’t my thing, either. I can still remember how hard I found it. Sometimes you’ve just got to accept your limitations. Don’t worry if you’ll never be any good at it.’

The first example shows how we can tell learners growth mindset stories in which they are the subject, based on our perception of what we think is possible and what we want to encourage them to do.

The second example illustrates the potential for slipping into fixed mindset language even with good intentions.

Here, the underlying story is that people have fixed abilities when it comes to art, so don’t worry.

This reflects an entity view of ability that we want to avoid.

Better to suggest to that learner that while many people find art hard, it is possible for anyone to get better at it.

All this leads us to a strong conclusion.

We need to pay attention to the stories in our classrooms – the ones we tell, and the ones our learners tell.

This means listening carefully to what we hear and, if necessary, reframing it back to learners in a growth mindset style.

Or offering an alternative story as a counterpoint.

It also means thinking about the content of our words before we speak and catching ourselves if we spot an unintended slip into a fixed mindset story, however well-intentioned it may be.

Growth Mindset Storytelling

Stories have power.

They are one of the fundamental ways through which we make sense of the world.

You could even argue that our mindset is a story we tell about ourselves – what we think is possible and what we think is beyond our reach.

When we retell stories over and again, they tend to become more deeply embedded in our sense of self.

Equally, if we constantly hear stories about ourselves from others, these can be taken on board as a statement of fact.

Witness, for example, the child who has been told a hundred times that the Smith family do not have the maths gene and who, as a result, dutifully believes that they cannot do maths and will never be able to change their ability.

One way to counter fixed mindset stories, and to provide learners with alternative stories they can tell about themselves, is to share fiction and non-fiction stories illustrating key growth mindset principles.

For younger learners, fiction is often the best port of call.

Whereas older learners might be happier with a combination of fictional and real-life examples.

When using growth mindset stories in your classroom, consider in advance how you will encourage learners to discuss and think about the key messages.

For example, you might plan a series of questions around the nature of effort.

You could then use these to get learners thinking about the effort they put in, and how ready they are to persist when things get tough.

Or you might set learners the challenge of writing their own story, based on the tenets exemplified in the story you shared.

There are plenty of fictional stories that embody growth mindset principles.

Fables, myths and fairytales are a good place to start.

Particularly Aesop’s fables, with the moral dimension driving many of these toward an exposition of character that tallies well with growth mindsets.

When it comes to non-fiction, individual case studies are good.

Examples I have used include:

• Thomas Edison (trial and improvement)
• James Dyson (learning from mistakes)
• J.K. Rowling (persistence; putting failure – in the form of rejection – to one side)
• Paula Radcliffe (effort; determination)
• Michael Jordan (focus on processes; mistakes as a path to learning)

Many more are out there, and I’m sure you have your own favourites.

Another non-fiction storytelling device you can use is that of the former learner.

Here, we use stories about pupils we have taught to illustrate the way in which anybody can take growth mindset principles and make them their own.

For example, we might tell our current learners a story about a child who was predicted a D grade but came out with an A.

Not because they focussed obsessively on the performance goal of getting an A, but because they refused to believe there was a limit to their potential, and so used effort, determination and feedback to develop their skills until they mastered the subject.

Or we might talk about a learner who started out hating maths but then became good at it after lots of trial and improvement.

If you do choose to use this technique, it is even more powerful if you can invite the learner in question to come back and speak to your class about their journey.