Problem with ‘you can always improve’ is it’s contextual

By Dan Haesler
Community contribution / May 31, 2016

“Actually, no, you don’t.” That’s quite often what I want to retort when I hear teachers say, “Oh yes, we do Growth Mindset at school”.

Now to be clear, I’m not saying that there aren’t some schools that have embraced the theory of Carol Dweck ...

This story appeared in the June 2016 edition of Australian Teacher Magazine.

Teacher Technology - Blakehurst High School

Blakehurst High School Blakehurst New South Wales

Teaching - Secondary / Jun 24, 2026

Head Teacher Technological and Applied Studies - North Sydney Boys High School

North Sydney Boys High School Crows Nest

Teaching - Secondary / Jun 24, 2026

Head Teacher Human Society and its Environment - Belmore Boys High School

Belmore Boys High School Belmore

Teaching - Secondary / Jun 24, 2026

School news / Australia’s social media age restrictions showing limited early impact: new research

New research examining the early implementation of Australia’s world-first social media age restrictions for under 16s has revealed little change in adolescence use of the platforms.

School news / Google’s YouTube settles over social media harm to kids’ mental health

YouTube and its parent company Google have settled with a minor who ‌claimed the platform caused mental health harms ahead of ‌a second trial over claims the design of social media sites has ‌fuelled a youth mental health crisis.

School news / How students should approach using AI in the context of learning: Loble and Woo

One of the real risks of AI, and part of its moth-to-flame-like irresistibility, is that it takes care of a lot of things for us and so we defer to it more and more.

School news / Youths reach breaking point before seeking counselling: survey results

Growing numbers of young people are reaching breaking point before seeking counselling, often due to the perceived stigma around asking for help.

School news / ‘A protest vote against the union’: Vic teachers take aim at AEU over pay offer

Fractures within the AEU Victorian branch have emerged after its members voted down an in-principle deal on pay and conditions last week, with some teachers reporting a pent up sense of animosity and resentment towards the union leadership fuelled...

School news / ‘Absolute disgrace’: fatal park attack near school shocks parents

A school community has been left to pick up the pieces after a man died following a violent attack in broad daylight metres from its gates.

School news / New ‘Futures Academy’ to help get at-risk back on track and re-engaged in education

The Queensland Government has announced a new Crime Prevention School to provide specialised education, mentoring, and family support for at-risk youth in Grades 7-12 who are disengaged from mainstream schooling.

School news / New PD offerings helping teachers grow the next gen of ag professionals

Teachers are being given new tools to help students explore the wide range of careers available across Queensland’s agriculture industry.

School news / AEU members vote to reject Vic Govt’s public school pay and conditions offer

Victorian teachers have rejected their union’s advice and voted down a pay rise offer of up to 32 per cent.

School news / ‘False sense of mastery’: AI may erode the mental structures for learning, experts warn

Quality teaching and the way we learn isn't changing because of AI, but the context means we have to make it the centrepiece of what schools do and give teachers the support and the agency to do so, Professor Leslie Loble says.

Problem with ‘you can always improve’ is it’s contextual

Comments

EducationID

Our services

Ad centre