Growing Together with Students
The principles of mindfulness in deep learning require students to focus, recognise their initial abilities, understand objectives, evaluate strategies, and engage in self-reflection. Another key principle is meaningful learning, which is the ability of students to connect material with daily experiences and apply it to new situations.
An enjoyable learning atmosphere also plays a supporting role through interactive, appreciative, and constructive feedback. These three principles can only be realised if a teacher’s mindset is open to change, continuous learning, and a refusal to be complacent with existing knowledge. This mindset serves as the foundation for teachers to continue growing alongside the students they mentor every day.
GROWTH MINDSET VERSUS FIXED MINDSET
A growth mindset is the belief that an individual can continuously develop their capacity, intelligence, and skills through experience, effort, and practice (Kismiantini et al, 202\01). Teachers with this mindset are open to even the smallest changes, remain optimistic, and are not ashamed to emulate good practices from their peers. At Sekolah Sukma Bangsa, the ‘Forum Guru Belajar Bersama’ (FGBB) or learning community was formed as a place to share best practices, such as building a healthy classroom atmosphere and maintaining student engagement.
Teachers with a growth mindset view the world through a positive lens: ‘I still need to learn’, ‘this is difficult, but I will try step-by-step’, ‘if others can do it, why can’t I try to learn?’, and other positive thoughts. Such a way of thinking is contagious. Students who see their teachers daring to try, admitting shortcomings, and not fearing mistakes will learn that the learning process is not about who is the smartest, but about who is willing to keep trying.
Pursuing the teaching profession cannot rely solely on educational knowledge from decades ago. The greatest challenge in learning today is not inability, but rather laziness in movement and thought. The claim that teachers are the main engine of education is not an unfounded belief. Kismiantube et al (2021) found that students with a stronger growth mindset tend to show better learning outcomes. This finding confirms that mindset is not merely a psychological term, but is also closely related to learning achievements, acting as a complementary link rather than a standalone cause-and-effect relationship.
On the other hand, there is a fixed mindset. ‘I have no talent’, ‘I am afraid of making mistakes’, and other pessimistic utterances block the mind from progressing, trapping it within a comfort zone. Yeager et al (2019) describe a fixed mindset as the belief that one’s abilities cannot be changed, leading them to avoid challenges that might reveal their weaknesses. In reality, trial and error is necessary so that one does not become complacent with their achievements.
Nevertheless, these two mindsets are not rigid or permanent categories. Almost everyone possesses a mixture of both, depending on the field. A teacher might have a growth mindset when building relationships with students, but remain closed off when facing new technology. Therefore, rather than labelling someone entirely, it is more appropriate to recognise the context in which these tendencies arise so that the support provided is targeted effectively.
A HEALTHY LEARNING CLIMATE
A teacher’s mindset does not stop with the teacher themselves because students depend on them. The way a teacher views the learning process, mistakes, and effort helps shape the children they mentor. A teacher who dares to say ‘I do not know yet’ demonstrates honesty and a willingness to relearn. For students, this is a valuable lesson: not knowing is not a disgrace, but a starting point for understanding something. Students growing in such a climate will be more courageous in asking questions, trying, and admitting their mistakes.
A healthy learning climate is built by teachers with a growth mindset, who use their own experiences as a source of learning. When a method is ineffective, they do not immediately blame the students, but instead ask, ‘what needs to be improved?’ and ‘what support has not yet been facilitated?’. Conversely, ‘I have always taught this way’ is the weapon of a teacher with a fixed mindset, who believes their own and their students’ abilities are static, thus viewing challenges as threats rather than opportunities for growth. They feel their method is successful, even as educational innovation continues to emerge.
A teacher who is afraid of making mistakes will create a classroom that is also afraid of mistakes. They find it difficult to accept criticism and are reluctant to reflect, even though through reflection, they can create space for students to ask, try, fail, and try again. Cultivating a growth mindset does not mean demanding that teachers always be optimistic and certain that a single attempt will succeed. What is more important is the gradual process: effort, strategy, practice, evaluation, and the willingness to accept feedback, then reflecting on the next steps when results do not meet expectations.
Teachers do not walk alone; this is where the strategic role of learning communities comes in. Through the FGBB, shared experiences become a collective strength rather than an individual possession, serving as a way to nurture a growth mindset among teachers. Ultimately, it is the students who reap the rewards. A classroom managed by teachers who continue to learn will become a more vibrant space, patient with mistakes, and open to diverse ways of learning.
Every teacher possesses different strengths, and the forum serves as a safe space for mutual completion. Building an effective learning community does not happen spontaneously. Some initial steps include: starting on a small scale with a regular schedule, utilising weekly meetings, rotating session leadership, and connecting every session to real issues in the classroom. A lack of resources is no excuse, as the primary capital is the will to learn, not the facilities.
Dynamic education requires adaptive teachers. A growth mindset is not just a term in educational psychology, but also a way of viewing…