In this Spanish for Educators lesson, you will learn how to talk about the growth mindset in Spanish: La mentalidad del crecimiento.
As teachers, we never stop learning! And as great teachers we try new things, fail, learn from those, adjust and try again. Many educators are the definition of the growth mindset. However, deep down, we also fight the fixed mentality of doubts, fear of failure, intimidation, etc. Imagine what our students go through on a daily basis, especially if they are new to a school, have limited english or very little educational support at home. This lesson will teach you simple vocabulary to implement growth mindset triggers in your classroom.
Here is the Growth Mindset in Spanish lesson that I taught to the Facebook group:
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In this lesson, we are going to… – En esta lección vamos a…
- Destacar el vocabulario necesario para hablar de la mentalidad de crecimiento con su estudiantes – Highlight the vocabulary needed to discuss the growth mindset with your students
- Ver unos verbos / frases super importantes – See some very important verbs / phrases
- Ver unos ejemplos de sus aulas – See some examples from your classrooms
¿Qué es la mentalidad del crecimiento? – What is it the Growth Mindset?
Educator, researcher and difference maker Carol Dweck had breakthroughs in the educational world as teachers starting grasping this concept and applying it in the classroom. Here are some famous quotes that represent the growth mindset:
No me juzgues por mis ÉXITOS, sino por todas las veces que me CAÍA y me levantaba otra vez – Nelson Mandela
Do not judge me for my SUCCESSES, but for all the times that I FELL and got up again
Los errores son evidencia de que estás intentando. – Unknown
Errors are evidence that you are trying
These quotes show that it is important to highlight errors as a part of the learning process.
La Mentalidad Fija – The Fixed Mindset
The fixed mindset is the opposite of the growth mindset. Every person most likely displays both mindsets depending on context, comfort zone and other factors. Carol says it’s all about a mindset shift.
These phrases are good to explain to your students what the fixed mindset is and how to identify it:
| Spanish | English |
Yo soy así, no puedo cambiar, no soy…  | I am like this, I cannot change, I am not … |
| Asumimos que nuestro carácter, inteligencia, habilidades, son estáticos. | We assume that our character, intelligence, abilities, are static. |
| No pueden desarrollarse, evolucionarse, cambiarse. | They cannot develop, evolve, change. |
La Mentalidad de Crecimiento – The Growth Mindset
Now, let’s talk about a good vocabulary to describe the growth mindset and compare it to the fixed mindset.
| Spanish | English |
| Soy capaz de avanzar, de progresar | I am capable to move forward, to progress |
| Fracasos son normales, todavía estoy en el proceso (No soy buena en mate TODAVÍA) | Failures are normal, I’m still in the process (I’m not good at math YET) |
| Se caracteriza por el esfuerzo, el aprendizaje, la habilidad de aprender de los propios errores. | It is characterized by the effort, learning, the ability to learn from their own mistakes. |
| Es el camino de la oportunidad y el éxito. | It is the path of opportunity and success. |
El Poder de (no) TODAVÍA – The Power of (not) YET
By using “todavía” or “yet”, you are giving your students the opportunity to keep learning and progressing to improve their performance.
| Spanish | English |
| No soy muy buena todavía, pero estoy progresando. | I’m not very good yet, but I’m making progress. |
| Aun no lo entiendo, pero voy a buscar estrategias para ayudarme | I still don’t understand it, but I’m going to look for strategies to help me |
Cambia las Palabras… – Change the Words …
Words are powerful and they are used to express our thoughts and feelings, but what happens when we change the words when expressing our thoughts? Exactly, we help our mindset to shift.
En lugar de decir o pensar… – Instead of saying or thinking …
| Spanish | English |
| No soy bueno en esto… | I am not good at this … |
| Me doy por vencido | I am already a failure |
| Este es demasiado difícil | This is too hard |
| No puedo hacer (matemáticas) | I can’t do (math) |
| No soy inteligente como… ella, él | I am not as intelligent as … him, her… |
| No soy creativo, una persona que lee, etc. | I am not a creative person, a person who reads, etc. |
Trata de pensar – Try to think
| Spanish | English |
| ¿Qué me estoy perdiendo? | What am I missing? |
| ¿Cuál estrategias puedo usar? Intentaré estrategias nuevas. | What strategies can I use? I will try new strategies. |
| Estoy en el camino correcto. | I’m on the correct path. |
| Esto va a tomar tiempo y esfuerzo. | This will take time and effort. |
| Los errores me ayudan aprender mejor. | Mistakes help me learn better. |
| Todavía no lo entiendo pero voy a… | I still don’t understand but I’m going to … |
Acciones hacia una Mentalidad de Crecimiento – Actions towards a Growth Mindset
These are some suggestions from teachers who are currently applying these ideas with their students:
| Spanish | English |
| Practicar, practicar, practicar. | Practice, practice, practice. |
| Aprender de tus fracasos, son parte del proceso. | Learn from your failures, they are part of the process. |
| Intentar otras estrategias. | Try other strategies. |
| Agregar “Todavía (no)” al final de las frases. | Add “Not yet” at the end of the sentences. |
| Difícil no es malo, es simplemente difícil. | Difficult is not bad, it’s just difficult |
| No compararse con otros, ni sus habilidades. | Do not compare yourself to others or your skills to the others’. |
| Enfocar en el esfuerzo, no en el resultado final. | Focus on the effort, not the final result. |
| Creer que los cambios son positivos. | Believe that changes are positive. |
| Persistir. | Persist. |
| Buscar maneras de mejorar. | Find ways to improve. |
| Poner metas. | Set goals. |
| Aprender de los errores. | Learn from mistakes. |
| Pensar fuera de lo normal. | Think out of the box. |
| Aprender es una aventura. | Learning is an adventure. |
| Tomar riesgos. | To take risks. |
| Fracasos son parte del proceso. | Failures are part of the process. |
| Practicar la conversación positiva. | To practice positive conversation. |
Vocabulario clave – Key Vocabulary
This vocabulary will help you to start changing the way you express yourself so you can apply it when talking to your students:
| Spanish | English |
| El Esfuerzo | Effort |
| El Éxito | Success |
| El fracaso / el fallo | Failure |
| Las Capacidades | Abilities |
| Las Destrezas | Strengths |
| Los Retos / desafíos | Challenges |
Verbos claves
If you don’t know how to conjugate verbs in Spanish, you can check this lesson about conjugations or check the online course available here 🙂
| Spanish | English |
| Afrontar | To confront |
| Alabar | To praise |
| Aplaudir | To applaud |
| Cambiar | To change |
| Crecer | To grow |
| Desarrollar | To develop |
| Elogiar | To praise |
| Esforzarse | To exert yourselft, to put into… |
| Expandir | To expand |
| Fallar | To fail |
| Mejorar | To improve |
| Promover | To promote |
Su reto profesional – Your Professional Challenge
- ¿Cómo van a aplicar este vocabulario en su aula?
- ¡Arriésguense, abran la boca y cometan errores!
- ¡Hasta la próxima vez!
