English: Mistakes provide the next lesson.

Thanks to a Twitter item this morning, I read this article: The beauty of unfinished work. Here's a takeaway message from that article:

Mistakes provide the next lesson.

Looking for an image to use, I remembered a great one that Magistra Susan had found at Cheezburger. So, I made a poster with that one:

I really liked the Latin version that Susan had done, so I also animated that by adding an English translation; you can see more of her Latin growth mindset memes at her Cheezburger Board: Digital Magistra:

Conabor rursus cras.

I will try again tomorrow.

The best projects are open-ended.

This cat was inspired by an Edutopia article: Creativity in the Classroom by Nicholas Provenzano.

The best projects are open-ended.

(picture from cheezburger)

I like to learn. What's YOUR Superpower?

I like to learn.

What's YOUR superpower?

(Image from Flickr)

This cat was inspired by a graphic I saw at Twitter:

Stay focused and pay attention.

As the semester gets more hectic, it gets harder and harder to stay focused and pay attention. But growth requires awareness...and you have to keep aware!

The image is from cheezburger.

Stay focused and pay attention.

English: Difficult is not impossible.

Difficult is not impossible.

One of my favorite educators at Google+, Larry Ferlazzo, shared this funny little video which inspired today's growth cat: good kitty indeed!

Sometimes you might be tempted to take the easy way, and sometimes you might even think that difficult IS impossible... but you should try to see what you can do: maybe difficult is not impossible after all! The image is from cheezburger.

I'm learning as I go.

This cat was inspired by this article: 5 Tips For Taking Feedback Like a Champ by Megan Bruneau.

If this is the first time you've heard the term "self-compassion," it's important to clarify it's not about believing you're perfect or being complacent. It's about treating yourself as a great coach would--with realistic, flexible expectations that encourage growth--but also with kindness and the understanding that you're an imperfect human being who's programmed for learning as you go, not a robot programmed for perfection.

I'm learning as I go.

(cheezburger)

Observe others: the task is possible!

This quote is inspired by a passage from Chapter 2 of Laura Ritchie's book, Fostering Self-Efficacy in Higher Education Students (2015).

Ritchie writes: "Vicarious learning can be effective when introducing completely new material or when rebuilding students are less than successful experiences. [...] Watching others can communicate a sense that the task is possible."

Observe others: the task is possible!

(The image is from cheezburger.)

If you only focus on the problem...

A friend shared this cat at Google+, and it reminded me of the Un-Think cat which you can see here: To get unstuck, you must first unthink.

If you only focus on the problem,

you might miss

the easy solution.

English: Practice to get good results.

This blog post is one of several inspired by a Chris Hildrew blog post: Growth Mindset Misconceptions and Missteps.

Here are some more cats inspired by that same post!

Made with a Cheezburger cat:

Practice to get good results.

Don't echo negative thoughts inside your head.

This cat was inspired by an article about the critical voices you might hear inside your head: Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head by Sabina Nawaz.

There’s one debilitating behavior that most of us fall victim to with great regularity: listening to critical voices in our heads. Whether they originate from external criticism or our own fears and doubts, these negative voices tell us we’re not good enough, kind enough, or productive enough. Research shows that echoing negative thoughts inside our heads increases our chances of depression, isolates us from others, and inhibits us from pursuing goals.

Don't echo negative thoughts inside your head.

(cheezburger)

English: To get unstuck, you must first unthink.

To get unstuck, you must first unthink.

The image comes from cheezburger, and the words are from Vidya Ananthanarayanan, a friend at Google+. Here is the graphic she made:

Do things you've never done before.

Today's cat is inspired by the words of Neil Gaiman; read more of his inspiring advice at Maria Popova's BrainPickings: Make Good Art. Neil Gaiman’s Advice on the Creative Life.

Do things you've never done before.

(The picture is from cheezburger.)

You might need to try another strategy.

You might need to try another strategy.

From Carol Dweck Says Theory of Educational Mind-Set Is Often Misunderstood by Goldie Blumenstyk (Chronicle of Higher Education). See more at the Chronicle site  (subscription required) or at the Soundcloud podcast. For more cats inspired by Carol Dweck's writings and talks, see the Dweck Collection.

Here's the context:

I heard a banking executive say, "Yeah, when I’m in a crunch. I have a deadline. Dwayne shows up." This is what Dwayne does, and how Dwayne makes me feel. This is how Dwayne effects people around me. Then the final step is talk to Dwayne. Get Dwayne on board with your growth-mind-set goals. Don’t try to get rid of Dwayne. Don’t disrespect him, but whatever you name your fixed-mind-set persona, say, "Thank you for your input." Or, "I appreciate your contribution, but why don’t we try it this way? Why don’t we take on that challenge?" There’s a setback, Dwayne comes rushing back, laughing at you. You say, "OK, that’s one way to look at it, but I think I learned something from that setback. What if we try this other strategy? Dwayne, you think you can bear with me on that?"

The image is from cheezburger.

You can learn from criticism.

This cat was inspired by From Mindset: The Psychology of Learning and Achievement by Emily Magruder.

You can learn from criticism.

(cheezburger)

Here is the specific slide that inspired this item:

Stretch yourself and reach your goal.

For those who are making New Year's Resolutions:

Stretch yourself and reach your goal.

(The image is from cheezburger.)

I'm confident that I can go high.

This quote is inspired by a passage from Chapter 2 of Laura Ritchie's book, Fostering Self-Efficacy in Higher Education Students (2015).

Ritchie writes: "People who have high levels of self-efficacy also tend to exhibit a range of positive qualities. They are more likely to choose more challenging tasks, undertake strategic thinking, work harder, exhibit resilience, and attain higher outcomes. [...] Failure is less of a deterrent, and they use resources creatively and seek possible solutions before giving up. Overall they persist longer and achieve more."

I'm confident that I can go high.

(cheezburger)

Because I feel safe, I can learn from my mistakes.

Because I feel safe, I can learn from my mistakes.

(cheezburger)

The cat was inspired by this infographic: 2. If students know the classroom is a safe place to make mistakes, they are more likely to use feedback for learning. Complete transcript here.

Feedback helps you see the road ahead.

This cat was inspired by How To Give Students Specific Feedback That Actually Helps Them Learn by Justin Chando.

I’ve learned that great feedback creates a roadmap for students; it shows them how far they can go in the mastery of a subject or skill by outlining specific places for improvement or highlighting successful behaviors/techniques. Great feedback pushes students to achieve more and it’s specific in helping them do so.

Feedback helps you see the road ahead.

(cheezburger)

Learn from your mistakes ...and then move on.

Learn from your mistakes

...and then move on.

I found this graphic in an Edutopia article: 10 Things Every New Teacher Needs to Know.

Curiosity is not sedentary and passive.

This cat is inspired by a quote from Jackie Gerstein's blog post: The Future Belongs to the Curious: How Are We Bringing Curiosity Into School?

And here are some more cats inspired by Jackie Gerstein.

Curiosity is not sedentary and passive.

The image is from cheezburger.