Growing Into Next Year: Administration and the Power of Trust
Posted by MAXCases Admin on Jun 4, 2022


By teacher guest blogger Kathryn Rose


As summer break starts to peek over the horizon, school communities come to life, buzzing around the essential work that needs to get done to wrap up the academic year.


Students are finishing up projects and starting to clean out their desks. Teachers are following testing and grading protocols before meeting with parents and pulling down their bulletin boards in chaotic classrooms.


And administrators?


Your eyes are probably already fixed on the small point of land just beyond the summer sun. It makes sense: the leader of a busy ship must always keep their eyes firmly locked onto the future.


As the leader of a district or a school, the decisions you make based on data you gather this year could have a profound impact on the academic outcomes of your incoming students in the fall.


And I would like to ask you a question: Have you thought about setting growth mindset goals on a macro level?


Before you close out this window, give me a second to explain myself!


Right now is the perfect time for administrators to take stock of the impact of the school’s culture on academic outcomes. Teachers are starting to sign, or not sign, contracts for the next year. Students are taking standardized tests. Sports teams are finishing up their seasons and parents are wanting to meet with you before they go on their family vacations.


You have raw data. What is that data telling you?


Ongoing research, both on clinical and anecdotal levels, repeatedly affirms the importance of a growth mindset, or a belief that our abilities can be developed with work, instead of laying stagnant like a fixed point on a map. In educational settings, we want our students to move through their academic year with the belief that they can master their mathematics or reading abilities with effort over time. It is the job of educators to instill a growth mindset in every single child that walks through their classroom door.


But the growth mindset has a hard time taking root if only a handful of the staff is actively encouraging students to view their work in school as a practice in mastery. Administrators play a vital role in moving the entire school system away from well-meaning buzzwords and into actionable goals that create rich learning experiences for everyone.


So, how can you foster a growth mindset in your schools?

At a very basic level, developing growth mindset requires high levels of trust. Students and staff members need to feel safe expressing themselves honestly and earnestly, even when their opinions can be felt as criticism.

Moreso, communities that value this type of growth also address inequalities inside and outside the school that might color staff member’s perceptions about what certain groups of students “are capable of.” All students should have a clear path that allows them to contribute in high-level, rigorous content.


Trust may also be hard to measure but it is formed through four basic principles.


Trust is formed through conversation. Growth mindset cultures have leaders that spend time nurturing their relationships. How often have you asked for honest feedback? What steps did you take to affirm a student or staff member’s concerns? Communication also requires clarity and vulnerability when you need to apologize. Yes, sometimes even principals get it wrong!


Trust is formed through consistency. Show up when you say you are going to be there and make sure you are giving every member of your school the same clear messaging. How often did you leave your office to attend school fairs or reading time with the kindergarteners?


Trust is formed through competence. Administrators need to execute their responsibilities swiftly. Your words need to be backed up with actions. When actions and words do not align, trust is broken and the environment suffers.


Trust is formed through compassion. When teachers and students feel protected and cherished, they have more freedom to take chances. They have the ability to make the necessary mistakes to master a skill or difficult subject matter. Your concern for them, and for the people in their social web, can have a direct impact on their belief in their own competency.


When administrators meet the four pillars of trust, communication can move into a growth mindset and growth work. Forward-thinking administrators might even include this work in personal development opportunities and staff meetings.


In turn, educators should be encouraged to do the same for their students – it is a top, down approach of empowerment.


Most importantly – make sure to take care of yourself this summer too! A school can only implement this strategy if its leader is ready to do the work themselves. Dive into your own mindset – do you regularly live in a place of growth? What subject matters makes you feel like a student again? How can you keep that fire going and lead by example?


Growth mindset is an inside and inside-out approach to school culture, and it starts with you. What could you do to build trust with your incoming students next year? As you gather up the last year and head out for vacation, find moments to reflect on what a school year grounded in growth mindset could look like – and make sure to read an awesome book as well!



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About Kathryn Rose


Kathryn Rose is currently a virtual tutor and a museum resource teacher. She also freelances for businesses and startups in the education field. She has taught at her city’s botanic garden for 12 years and has been a Social Studies teacher in both private and public schools.

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