Building a Growth Mindset: A Guide for Parents and Teachers

In the rapidly evolving platform of education and child growth and development, there is one concept that outshines as a beacon of hope — cultivating growth mindset.

Brought into the limelight by renowned and acclaimed psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, the idea of a growth mindset is centered on the belief that talents and intelligence although are inherent can surely further be developed through dedication, persistence, and effort.

Contrary to the notion of illogical approach to transforming self, fixed mindset has been challenged by the growth mindset idea. 
The practice of a growth mindset is what is urgently needed today in the rapidly changing world where parents are busy with their chores and have little time to guide and nurture their wards with growth mindset opportunities.

 

Moreover, the pressure on students to perform equally well academically and in other spheres too, underpins the importance for them to learn how to adapt, innovate, and solve problems. Parents and educators both have their roles to facilitate this mindset during childhood and adolescence.

And the majority of schools, like National Public School Bangalore, have integrated this philosophy in their overall teaching and learning process.

What is a Growth Mindset?

A growth mindset is an understanding that talents and abilities can be cultivated through steady and sincere collaborative effort, successful strategies, , feedback and reflection from others and self. 

 

When kids grow in an environment that supports a growth mindset, they are more inclined to:

Approach challenges positively

Stick their ground to adverse situations despite obstacles

 

Recognize their efforts as a means to mastery

Learn to grow from feedback and reflections

Celebrate others’ success

However, a fixed mindset may easily get in the way of learning and result in fear of failure, decreased motivation, and self-doubt. Therefore, promoting a growth-mindset attitude among children is essential for long-term academic and personal development and achievement.

Its Relevance in Today’s Competitive World

With education becoming more skill-based and interdisciplinary in nature, grades and standardized testing are no longer the only areas of emphasis. Critical thinking, flexibility, emotional resilience, and creative problem-solving are essential competencies that learners today need to have as more often the employers look into the EQ more than the IQ. And this is where the growth mindset comes into play! 

Schools such as National Public School Bangalore recognize that developing students’ learning attitude is as essential as the syllabus itself. When kids are encouraged to have faith in their capacity to improve, they become confident, brave and non-judgmental enough to try new things without the fear of failure.

Parents Beware-Growth Begins at Home

Parents are the child’s first and proximal teachers. The language used at home, the handling of failure, and the kinds of praise both displayed and modelled can powerfully shape a child’s mindset.

Here are some useful tips for parents to reinforce a growth mindset at home:

1. Praise Effort, Not Just Outcome
Don’t make comments like “You’re so smart” and instead express, “I’m proud of how hard you worked on this.” This encourages children to appreciate persistence and effort rather than perfection.

2. Model a Growth Mindset
Kids learn from observing their role models and adults. An enriching discussion or explanation of your own learning experiences, both success and failures and the reflections reinstate a faith of being kind towards self. 

3. Harp on Risk-Taking Appetite and Curiosity
Set up a space where errors are viewed as learning experiences in a non-invasive space. Invite your child to ask questions to self and you or the model, experiment with new things, and encourage them to learn from failures.

4. Teach the Power of “Yet”
When your child utters, “I can’t do this,” remind them: “You can’t do this yet.” This 3 letter word has the potential to unlock the door to possibility and progress.

The Impact of Teachers: Developing a Growth Mindset in the Classroom

Classrooms that cultivate a growth mindset become arenas of exploration, collaboration, and resilience. Teachers, particularly in institutions like National Public School Bangalore, are trained to foster growth-oriented learning environments.

1. Encouraging Reflective Learning

Teachers can encourage students to learn that learning is a process by encouraging self-evaluation, reflection logs, and growth portfolios.

2. Normalizing Mistakes

Teachers who speak freely of mistakes and demonstrate how to use them to learn allow students to feel comfortable taking intellectual risks.

3. Creating a Culture of Feedback

Instead of presenting grades, successful feedback comments on effort, strategies, and progress. This kind of constructive criticism teaches students how to improve.

4. Encouraging Cooperative Learning

Collaboration in groups assists students in learning from each other, valuing varied viewpoints, and realizing that advancement can result from cooperation.
These habits are often observed among the top CBSE schools in Bangalore, where teachers are encouraged to guide, assist, and motivate instead of merely teaching.

Growth Mindset in Action: What It Looks Like

The following are some instances of what a growth mindset could look like in everyday situations

:
A kid who has a difficult time with math at first but continues to practice and finally gets better

 

A kid who auditions for a play, doesn’t get cast, but practices harder and tries out again next time

A teacher who reworks a lesson plan after hearing from students in order to enhance comprehension

Stories like these are prevalent throughout schools in Bangalore, particularly those schools that place greater emphasis on lifelong learning rather than short-term grades.

Right School Make Things Right

If you’re a parent researching the best schools near me Bangalore, remember to go beyond rankings and infrastructure. Look for schools that actively nurture a culture of growth and emotional intelligence.

The best CBSE schools in Bangalore stand out for offering:

Supportive and inclusive classroom environments

Encouragement for student voice and leadership

Balanced emphasis on academics, sports, arts, and values

Teachers trained in emotional and social learning

It’s interesting to note that some of Bangalore’s most reputed schools are adopting this mindset transformation. Schools like National Public School Bangalore have fully incorporated the growth mindset into pedagogy, culture, and student development practice.

Long-Term Impact: Building Future-Ready Learners

When children learn a growth mindset, they take that mentality into adulthood. They become:

Resilient professionals who thrive with change

Empathetic individuals who accept diversity

Creative thinkers who lead with purpose

Lifelong learners who seek knowledge with enthusiasm

In the world of global challenges, fast-paced industries, and shifting social dynamics, this type of mindset is not only helpful — it’s necessary.

Creating a growth mindset isn’t about being optimistic every moment. It’s about teaching children that their potential isn’t fixed and that with effort, coaching, and the proper support, they can develop, learn, and thrive.

As educators and parents, it is our responsibility to collaborate in building spaces where children feel comfortable to explore, fail, and try once more. Whether it begins at home or in classrooms like the ones at National Public School Bangalore, the process of developing a growth mindset is one of the best investments we can make in a child’s future.

So next time you’ll find yourself searching for “best schools near me Bangalore,” recall to ask: does this school foster not only minds but mindsets?
Because the way children think about learning will in the end determine who they become.

Manita Hathi

Public Relations Officer

National Public School ITPL