In a previous post I wrote about my boys and how we are trying to identify a fixed mindset when we see it and work towards building a growth mindset. As part of that process, we have begun to explore the “Power of Yet.” A three letter word….but it can be so powerful.
My son, who has been struggling with spelling, said yesterday…”I just can’t spell. I’m not good at it.”
INSERT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY HERE
We used that moment as a learning opportunity about the “Power of Yet” just like you can do with your students every day within your classrooms. We talked about other areas where it took time to learn skills such as tying his shoe, riding a bicycle, hitting a baseball, or learning to read, but eventually with practice, he was able to learn how to do all of those things and more.
Check out this great video below “You Can Learn Anything” and think about how sharing this with students can give them a perspective that they can learn anything. Think about how powerful it would be for our students to come to school each day with the inspiration and motivation that they can learn anything because they have developed what the author of this Edutopia blog called a developed “yet sensibility” in their daily beliefs and practices. Think about whether you have developed the “yet sensibility.”
Or have your students watch the following Sesame Street Song “The Power of Yet” and have them brainstorm times they have struggled to learn something, but eventually were able to.
You could take some time in your class to have students identify what they can do and the things that they can’t do YET and want to learn or work towards as seen within our own district.
Finally, check out Carol Dweck’s Ted Talk on the power of students believing they can improve and ask yourself as she does “What are we doing to build the bridge to yet?”
Carol Dweck talks about a story of school who instead of marking “F or failure” for a grade…they put “Not Yet.”
https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve.html
Be the Change 
Maureen….Paul Marshall here because I can't figure out how to sign on any other way…..yet….great blog! I have been using the word yet in my practice my whole life! The links and videos you put up here are excellent….I would encourage all educators to adopt this mindset and find ways to push it into their everyday practice….students who are encouraged to risk and fail and get back up because their effort will get them there eventually will always produce the desired outcomes……and the students will enter the task and learn to persist and the teachers will be fulfilled because their students will grow…..so that is our mission, how do we get everyone to understand the power of yet! Love this work….
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