Findings: Part II

7/28/2019 Findings: Part II

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PART II

During my action research, I struggled with collecting data from surveys and looking at such specific,personal details in the population at large. It felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzleas if I was ignoring

the individual personalities and focusing on generalizations. With such a personal topic as mindsets, I felt I

needed and wanted students to dive deeper and share the inner workings of their minds. Was I really going to

get what I needed by skimming the top with surveys and exit slips? Or, did I need to dive deeper to get a richersense of what students were experiencing using interviews and long conversations?

Throughout my research, I got so many thoughtful responses from students. I wanted to follow up on

each one, but it wasnt realistic for me to be able to probe and go deeper into each students thinking. In thebeginning, I shared some of my survey findings with a small group of students to get their feedback. These

students were the ones that normally ate lunch in the art room, so it was easy to ask them for assistance with my

work. They felt that these general findings were not representative of their classmates. Each survey and graphof the responses that they looked at

resulted in questions about the applicability

of the data. It didnt seem to suggest any

ways for me or my students to learn how tobetter attain a growth mindset from such

broad responses. Ultimately, these

students helped me to develop the three

categories of mindsets that I use in myresearch: strong growth, strong fixed and

mixed mindsets.

They also felt that since I waslearning about mindsets too, and how to

help students, I should work closely with

just a few students instead of the wholeclass. One girl stated, I think you will get

more information if you could meet with

the same students for a long time, instead

of trying to cover your whole class. The

rest of the group agreed with commentslike, Yeah, youre not going to get much

out of the whole class when it comes to personal experiences and stuff, but if you work closely with just acouple studentsyou probably would hear more, I think they also would get close to you and open up more

and If you focus on a couple students and the way they are in class, you wont drive yourself crazy because it

will be easy to organize and they can help you. I liked the idea of not driving my self crazy, and also the idea

that my students would open up to me more if they felt closer to me. I decided they were right, that workingwith a select few students would get me the information I wanted. A case study was approach was the way for

me.

To understand each of these mindsets more deeply, I chose three students, each representing a different

mindset. I had known each of these 3 students for three years and had worked closely with them during each of

those years. Furthermore, they were open and friendly students. I knew that for a case study approach to work,I would have to use students who were not only representative of the whole group, but also students that I had a

strong relationship with and could expect honest answers to personal questions. After approaching these threestudents, they were open to participating in the research process.

The three students that you will read about in the following chapters are students who felt they could

represent each mindset categorythe first student felt she could represent growth mindsets, the second a fixedmindset and the third a mixed mindset. They were happy not only to help share their outlooks with me, about

having a certain mindset when it comes to art, but also they felt they could help me accomplish my goal. They


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saw my research as something fun, and they were happy to help a teacher and be involved in something that

could help other teachers and students.

Introduction to the Three Case Studies

The case studies begin with Selina Kyle who feels that she is, predominantly, a strong growth mindset

artist. Selina is a student who feels she is creative, loves making art, and believes that everyone can be an artist

too. She values practice, sees her mistakes as learning experiences, and understands that to be good at art onehas to practice. She does not worry about what other people think and just has fun making art.

Barbara Gordon opens up about her experiences with having a fixed mindset in the art room. She shares

her viewpoints on why she feels her art is bad, how she feels about the way she thinks, and how it can frustrateher sometimes. Barbara expressed her need to compare herself, and shared how she is very critical of the things

she does. She discusses how she also feels that what someone does or makes is a reflection of who they are as a

person, and shares an interesting fact about what drives her in art class.

Arthur Curry gives us insight into how he experiences art with a mixed mindset, and how his mindsetsswitch according to different materials, contexts and even people. He shares his viewpoint on how he judges art,

and how he has mixed feelings about whether he can make good art or not. In the end, he expresses which

mindset he feels he has about art according to the semester he has had in my class.

Each student shares their perspectives along the way of making a project in my art class, and shares howtheir personal mindset influences how they view art. They talk about their past experiences with art, and

conclude their stories with how they feel about me trying to cultivate growth mindsets. With that in mind, here

are the stories of three wonderful students and their experiences with different mindsets in art.


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Section I

Selina Kyle: Growth Mindset in Art

When I started this action research study and was first thinking about my goalto have all students feelconfident and successful with artI thought about Selina. I have always been inspired by Selinas optimistic

and confident view of herself and the work she does in art class. She works through challenges in the art room

with very little stress and does not look down on herself. She is open to learning new things in art, and has anopen mind and fearless attitude when it comes to trying out new mediums and new art styles. I am even a little

jealous of her positive and easy-going character, and I wish that, at times, I could be as positive about my

artwork as she was with hers.

I realized that her confidence, and the fact that she saw herself and her work as successful was a greatthing; I wanted all students to feel that way. It pushed my thinking about how and why Selina had felt this way,

and, thinking about Carol Dwecks bookon mindsets, it popped into my head that Selinas confident views and

feeling towards art, had to connect with her mindset. Selina is the reason I decided to tackle my goal of

cultivating growth mindsets in my classroom. I knew Selina had benefitted from a growth mindset based on theyears I have known her in art class.

Selina has a lightheartedness about her in the art room, which I find attracts other classmates to her. Herlaughter and friendly manner have made people want to work with her on projects, and hang out with her. I

have had other students comment that they would like to work with her or sit at her table because they found her

always kind and helpful. Selina is a great leader in the classroom and I felt that she would have great insight,

advice and methods on how I could help other students increase their confidence in art class.Many of Selinas friends and classmates, when we were learning about growth mindset, had identified

Selina as the ultimate growth mindset individual. Comments people have said about Selina were: Oh, Selina is

totally growth mindset-ed!, Selina always practices and works hard in art she has a growth mindset andSelina is an artist and knows she can improve her art all the time. I couldnt agree more. Selina has a growth

mindset.According to Selina:

Everyone can learn to do anything, and get really good at it with practice and determination. I dont

consider myself, or anyone, to ever be a bad artist. We just need more practice, and to be able to trust

that we have what it takes to get better and better.

It is comments like this that influenced my decision to have Selina as a case study. The way she sees art

as a learnable skill and her perspective that anyone can be anything is just the type of thinking I felt I couldlearn from. I admired her perspective that she feels no one is a bad artist. I knew that Selina would be able to

teach me about ways I could best support my students in the art studio.


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My Relationship with Art by Selina Kyle

Yes, I do a lot of art.

To me art is an expression of thought and self.

I like photography because you can capture an authentic moment and experience. Doodling anddrawing is like a journal of my thoughts and memories. And, sewing is a fun way to practice your

creativeness.

I went to a private school for elementary school. We did have art class there but they were just short andsimple lessons where we just copied a small drawing. I have always felt that I liked to draw, and when I

came here to HTM in 6th

grade I really noticed that I liked to draw even more. I dont normally do

sculptures at home because I dont know how to, yet. I would like to do it more though.

I find myself doodling a lot, and I work hard at it because I think art is cool and I like to be good at it. I

see things and I think they are interesting and then Iget inspired to create things myself. If I dontI will

forget the things that inspired me, and I like to remember things that inspired me in my life. I like all sorts ofart. I have no preference. I do lots of drawing, some acting (not out of school though, just in Drama class)

I play some music, and I love sewing unique things.

I consider myself to be creative because I hear people say I am. I feel that the way I think and the way I

standout from others (because Im silly and wear different clothes then normal kids) - I feel creative.

My favorite subjects are art and science. I like science because it is fun to figure out things and answer

questions, plus the hands on learning and visual images that go with science. Oh, and it is interesting too. Ilike art because it is visually interesting and I like to interpret things. Both require you to figure things out and

solve it like a mystery. I think that is fun and makes you think creatively.

The Growth Mindset Art Experience

I dont define people as good or bad artists, but ifsomeone wants to improve their art they have to put in a lot

of time and practice. Anyone can do that.Selina Kyle

Watching Selina in the art room is an inspiring thing. She has a positive energy and a confidence that

radiates around her. She is open to learning anything in the art room, and she explains this as her liking to trynew things and experiencing new art cultures. Selina sees that one of the keys to being a stronger artist is to be

open-minded. She explains how trying new things in art makes you a better artist because youre more open-minded about different art styles and youre open-minded about learning new skills in art. I have appreciated

her being open to trying new materials, learning about new artists and experimenting with different art forms.

This open-minded trait of Selinas made me wonder if confidence was connected to her feeling this way. Woulda student who is not confident in art tend to not be as open-minded in learning new things? Does a growth

mindset student tend to be more open-minded? Selina felt that if you have a growth mindset then you probably

would be open to more things because you know it can help you grow. I feel the same as well. For example, Ibelieve that if a student sees that they can learn art and grow as an artist then they are more open to trying out


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brand new materials, forms of art and new techniques. This student would see the value of being open-minded

because they know it will help them grow and develop. On the opposite end, a student who is fixed mindsetabout arts may not be as open-minded about new things because they do not see the purpose or value.

I was curious as to how each case study felt about having a certain mindset. I asked Selina how she felt

about having a strong growth mindset when it came to art (and other things in her life). Selina expressed: I

think that it is helpful to have a growth mindset in art class because it feels good to have confidence in yourself.In my opinion, I achieve more things when I am more positive and when I have confidence. When Selina

shared this opinion, I was intrigued with how she had felt confidence and a growth mindset were almost meshed

together. I know that people with either mindset can be just as confidentbut I couldnt helpbut notice, with artin particular, that those with a dominant fixed mindset towards art tended to have lower confidence in art. It

makes sense to me to think that if someone feels they are incapable of doing art, cannot learn art, and do not

process the skills to do art (these are all fixed mindset thinking) that they would naturally feel less confidentwhen making art.

After Selina had read about mindsets from the article I passed out in class (Appendix E), and took the

mindset quiz (Appendix F), she felt that she had the ability to describe each mindset. Here Selina wrote out and

explained how she sees each mindset:

Selinasbelieves that someone with a growth mindset is:

Someone who believes in their work and their potential in the world. Someone who can see themselves as capable of improving themselves and their abilities. Someone who tries and knows they can try to be a better artist. Someone who takes mistakes as a sign that they need to keep working hard.

Selinasbelieves that someone with a fixed mindset is:

Someone who thinks they cant be good at art. Someone who does not see that they can grow into any potential. Someone who doesnt see the value if improving, because they think they cant improve. Someone who gives up when they make too many mistakes.

Now, imagine what it would be like in an art room where you are assigned an art project that would be

publicly displayed and would take weeks to months to completeall without you having any confidence inyour art skills. How would this affect your performance and your relationship to the arts? Here Selina responds:

I wouldprobably fail horribly if I didnt have any confidence in myself as an artist. I had a situation once

where I didnt have confidence in what I was doing and it stressed me out. I wasnt hopeful that I could dothat particular thing, so I rushed and it didnt come out good.

I like how Selina makes a connection to stress levels being affected by her confidence. For me, when I do nothave confidence in something I am doingbut I have to do itmy stress levels skyrocket. Thinking about my

students, I am aware that they are tasked to create art projects in this class. If they feel unconfident, do their

stress levels rise? And, how does stress affect students art performance? Talking with Selina, we both had a

strong feeling that if a student does not have confidence in themselves when making art, then they could haveincreased stress thus affecting their performance, and in the end their confidence. This is not what I want.

Selinas Thoughts & Experiences with the Three Stages of Prepari ng Perspectives

Working closely with Selina all semester, not only did she get to experience the Three Stages ofPreparing Perspectives during our project work, but she was able to help me along the stages as well. She saw

what I did and went through the process with me, helping me attain my goal of cultivating a growth mindset in


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my classroom. Along the way, moving through these stages and art projects, Selina has given me advice,

feedback and insight.

Stage1. Set realistic expectations & goals, and then remember to place no judgment

Here is how Selina felt about students and their expectations in art class:

People come into art class with images of what they want to create and make, but it doesnt come out

the way they expected. They didnt practice, so the art doesnt come out the way they expected and itmakes them feel frustrated or bad. So they had the wrong type of expectations for themselves. Have

expectations a little above your art level so it doesnt disappoint you when you reach for unreachable

expectations. This is also why I dont set my expectations from my art based on a comparison tosomeone way better then me, because everyone is at a different level. When they see art that someone

had been practicing forever, and they set their expectations that their art should look like that, they are

going give up if they cant make that expectation. They think Why cant I draw that? and then think

that are bad. But, really, they should not have set that expectation of themselves.

According to Selina, setting realistic expectations of ones own work is crucial to not feeling frustrated

or bad. She stated:

I dont think that someone has to draw realistically to be a good artist. I think anyone can be an artist

they just have to create things. Drawing, painting, building, music, there are so many different types ofart and I think everyone can do art. But, you have to have realistic expectations of yourself and your

work, or else you will give up easily.

Selina viewed our art class as a place where she would learn and practice art. She saw the studio as aplace of learning, and set her expectations that she was an art student. It is this word student that helped her

establish appropriate expectations for herself and her work. By seeing herself as an art student she knew her

work would illustrate learning, and did not expect her work to be professional. This did not mean that Selinawas setting low expectations for

her self; in fact, her expectationswere high. She expected her work

to represent hard work, great effortand to illustrate that she cared

about what she was doing. There

was never a time when I noticedSelina setting low expectations.

She always pushed herself and she

believed one should haveexpectations a little above your art

level. Her expectations were

challenging, and supportive of hergrowth as a student. Take, forexample, her work on a linear

sculpture project.

I had students create alinear sculpture installation project

with insect shapes called The

Swarm. Students were asked to

capture the linear design of an


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insect in a 3-dimensional form. In partnerships (chosen by students), students had to use round wicker reed, jute

string, rice paper and glue to construct one insect of their choice, which would later be put up as an installationon our school site. They were also tasked to capture the linear planes and surfaces of the animal to give the

sculpture more depth and visual solid grounds.

Selina had chosen to create a snail with her partner. Selina and her partner chose a snail because she

heard a lot ofother kids doing more popular and similar insects and I wanted to do something totally differentfrom everyone else. We knew the snail wasnt an insect, so we asked Ms. Charlie if it was okay. We liked how

the shell was interesting and looked intricate. This snail idea was not an easy task; as a matter of fact I was

impressed with this challenging decision for them to create a snail and their want to do something different fromeveryone else as a wonderful idea. Unlike the insects that other students chose, the snail was a complicated

creature with a swirling, curved shell. These were some challenges Selina and her partner faced when creating

the snail:

1. There were no other snail projects, so they couldnt ask others for help on our design. They would be theonly ones working with this style so they couldnt necessarily look at other students work to get

references and help.2. The shell of the snail was so intricate and the complicated pattern of the swirl required many attempts.3. The materials (round wicker reed and jute string) were more difficult to mold when it came to curves,

and more rounded shapes. It required more patience, and more structure to hold the curves.

When the project was introduced, and Selina and her partner sought out the challenge of the snail, I

checked in with Selina about the expectations she had for herself and her artwork. She said, I expect myself totry my hardest and to not be negative towards myself and my work. I expect my work to show effort, that I took

my time and put in a lot of thought . Her expectations had me thinking so many things. But, the thing that stood

out about her expectations was how Selina expected herself and her work to represent her effort and dedication.Not once did she put added pressure on herself by using the phrases great work, beautiful art or to have the

best/perfect sculpture. And, on top of this she expected herself, with no trying or pushing, to be positive and

not look negatively upon herself and her work. Because Selina sees herself as a student learning the arts, she did

not expect her work to be perfect. She expected her work to show effort and learning.Her expectations were upheld for the duration of the project. As I noticed that Selinas expectations of

herself and her work never waivered, I realized that not only were her expectations realistic and challenging butthey also acted like a set requirement for herself. It helped me realize that expectations are different than goals.Expectations are set and assumed to be unchangeable. Expectations seem to be unwavering and solid, whereas

goals may be more changeable and something you aim for.

Notice how Selinas expectations vary from her goals for this project:

Expectation:

I expect myself to work hard.-This implies that she is going to do this, and there is no doubt that she will. She could rephrase her

expectation, simply, as I am going to work hard.

Goal:My goal for this project is to create something that is different and visually interesting.

-This implies she is working towards this goal (which may or may not happen). She is trying and trying

hard because that is her expectation of herself.

A goal is something you are aiming for; expectations are what you set to help you get there. I found this

to be a great reminder for students: expectations and goals are different things. Connecting this to mindsets and

confidence I saw this: a growth mindset student will set high expectations, but those expectations will berealistic and attainable, and the goals will be realistic but challenging. This will help the student feel more


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successful because the expectations and goals were met. If for some reason they are notthe growth mindset

student would not falter, but understand they are learning and growing. This increases self-confidence.I asked her what she thought about me asking questions to help my students re-set unrealistic

expectations and goals. I shared with her that I viewed unrealistic expectations as expecting ones self to

perform, or have an ability, that is far beyond their present day skill level. For example: I have never used oil

paints before, or taken a basic drawing class, but I expect myself to do work like the artist who I will base mypainting off of.

Unrealistic goals, on the other hand, are creating a set standard for ones artwork that far exceeds the

level of the students present day skills and techniques. For example: My drawings will have to be perfect, andlook very realistic like a photograph.

I wondered if she thought these questions worked with other students, I think it is a good idea for an artteacher to help students re-set expectations, so they feel more confident and achieve those more realistic

expectations, which will help them feel more successful with their art. I liked how Selina saw the achievement

of expectations being connected to success. This is what I also feltthat I needed to help students set positive

and achievable expectations. Walking around and checking in with students by asking their expectations, andtalking through them really helped re-set them.

Another thing I wanted to check with Selina, before her project was over, was to see how she judged

herself and her art. Here is Selinas response about judgment and art:

When I make art, when I have a picture in my mind and it doesnt come out the way I want- I can get

critical. But, I dont judge myself as not capable or a bad artist, I just know I need to learn more and

practice more. I do care what people think about my artwork, but if I am proud and like my art and otherpeople dont like it or think I suck, I dont care, because Im proud. If I am not proud of the final

product, at least I know I tried something new. It may look bad, but I amproud Im learning and getting

better. I am a growing artist that grows at my own pace. I dont find the value ofjudging my art, orjudging others. I think my art is mine alone and I am proud because I work hard and practice a lot to

make it. But, anyone can grow to be a better artist and be proud of their work if they practice as much as

I did. People are on all different levels in art, so it is not good to judge and compare.

This is one of the reasons why I get a little envious of Selinaher ability to not judge her art. How doesshe not judge? What is the ability she contains that makes it so she doesnt judge her art? How can she just see

her work as something reflective of progress and growth? It is Selinas perspective that she is in art class, she isan art student and that she is learning. It is her expectation that she knows she will work hard, and put in the

timebut that her goal is that she will learn. These things strengthen her growth mindset and help build her

confidence.

Even though I had planned to check-in with students expectations and ideas on judgment as a way tomake sure their perspective was supportive of a growth mindset, I knew some students, like Selina, would have

realistic expectations. What was good about these students is that I was able to share their expectations with

students who did not have very realistic expectations, helping them set positive and achievable expectations for

themselves and their work.

As the art teacher, I was able to support growth mindset students like Selina by helping them pushthrough challenges so they attained their goals. Some ways I showed support was by giving concrete examples

of how they were meeting their expectations and learning a lot through the process. For example, with Selinaand her partner, I always showed appreciation for the focus and hard work they put into their sculpture. I

pointed out how wonderful it was when they experimented with making different knots with the twine, and with

building different shapes because it allowed for them to pick the best methods and create a structurally strongerdesign (and also not have large chunky knots distracting from of the snail). By recognizing their hard work, I

was confirming that they had achieved their expectations and were on their way to reaching or surpassing their

goals. When I did these things I noticed that Selina and her partner seemed a little more happy and energetic. Itwas like a boost of positive energy and confidence for them.


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Think of it this wayas a student, you are working hard and trying to aim for a goal. How great does it

feel when a teacher points out that he/she appreciates and notices all your hard work giving you concreteexamples of how your hard work has assisted your project? How would it feel to share your expectations of

your work and yourself, then have a teacher give you a list of examples of how you had amazingly achieved

them using concrete examples from your performance and work? If youre like me, it feels great. And, it is this

act that helps build confidence.

Stage 2. In art there is process: Learn and make mistakes

When I assign projects and assignments in art class, I notice that Selina goes above and beyond what I

ask. She does more drafts, she practices at home, she practices art around school, and she is always checking inwith me and asking for suggestions. The more she works on her art, the more she practices, and the happier and

more confident I see her get. Selina commented that:

I think people can learn the basics of art and work to get better. A lot of the time people think they areso bad at art, but they dont give themselves a chance. I think everyone can learn to be an artist, but you

have to give yourself a chance by being open-minded, finding inspiration, learning art, practicing and

being determined. This is why I think I am good at art.

Here Selina has connected that being open-minded, finding inspiration, learning art, practicing and

being determined is the cause of why she is good at art. I see that these things have helped her feel confident

and capable in the class. She knows what she has to do in order to accomplish great things. It is awesome to seehow she practices a drawing then comes to me to show her process and get suggestions, and then see her skip

around class and bounce around, full of positive energy about her work. Even in times of frustration, her

confidence and self-assurance remains.When Selina was working on her image for a linoleum block-printing project, she worked very hard.

She collected references, she practiced her drawing and she sought out feedback (from her friends and from

me). What was inspiring to me was how open she was to showing me her mistakes. It was like she was proud of

her mistakes because they showed that she was trying and learning. When working on the skeleton she would

say things like I think I made the skull too small, I should make it bigger next time, The ribs are hard andcame out weirdhow can I make them look more curved? and The image is not clear. I should have gone

deeper when carving. Her mistakes were not shameful to her, but signs she was working for improvement.Selina shared that mistakes are not a sign that I am bad at something, it is just a sign that I need more practice.

At least I am trying and learning. In the second stage of preparing perspectives, I checked in a lot with Selina

to make sure she was feeling positive and good about herself and her work. She was. I also wanted to make sure

she was seeing mistakes as learning opportunities. She was. But, I do have to point out that even though Selinais positive, confident and has a growth mindsetit does not mean she doesnt feel frustration or doesnt have

moments where she wants to give up.

During our linoleum block printing project I had students keep all their drafts from the test runs. I

wanted students to see how they could improve by looking at their mistakes, and using them to help guide their

next moves. This was to emphasize the process of making art. Selinas block printing process was complex,more so then any other student. I knew that Selina had valued the art process, since she saw art as learning in

this class, but during this project I became curious how she would handle a complicated extended process(having to do several drafts, having to do dozens of test runs, and re-carving her image, when others didnt).

When I saw the image that Selina wanted to do for her block print, I had a hunch that it would be complicated.

She developed a challenging image, and I was proud of her, knowing that she was going to learn a lot about theprocess and art making.

Selina created a very intricate drawing for her linoleum block. This image connected with a poem she

had created in her humanities class as part of a collaborative project with humanities and art. Students wereasked to write a poem and then create an image (and make a block print) that represented the poem. Selina


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created an image of a skeleton holding a balloon and floating away into the sky. This image would require

patience, a steady hand, and deep clear-cuts on the linoleum in order to transfer onto the paper with clarity. Ishared this with Selina, and she was excited to tackle this and we both were in love with her image.

This was the first time I had seen Selina show signs of frustration. But, she never gave up. Her

frustration seemed to be followed by determination. I value this trait when it comes to making art. She had a

difficult art challenge: to figure out how to get good clarity when transferring the print onto paper, while notlosing the details of her image. Selina had to do a test run and make a print, then go back and fix her carving by

making deeper cuts and smoothing out others. Then she had to go back and do another test print. Back and forth

she went. And, on top of this she was figuring out colors and trying to find the proper dilution of ink and waterso that the ink did not clog the lines, still had opacity and vividness and transferred on top of the paper well.

Selina saw her mistakes, worked through the art process and stayed dedicated. Her perspective was that she had

a challenge and she could figure it out. She saw other students working hard and having a much easier timegetting to the end. However, she did not perceive them as better then her. They just had a different image and

were learning at their own pace. She used her mistakes as guidance for her next steps, and in the end felt that

she had an amazing art piece that reflected her dedication and hard work.

Selinas growth mindset allowed her to push through the challenges and not give up. Her growthmindsetthe way of seeing herself as evolving and that mistakes are learning experiencesallowed her to

manipulate her mistakes into guidance for her next steps and to use them to teach her how to do things. Her

mistakes were crucial for her to progress through the process, to figure out what worked and didnt. Selina

never saw them as a sign that she couldnt make art. In the end, Selina had over 5 drafts of her skeletondrawing, and re-carved her image about 4 times, and had made over a dozen prints. Her final product was

representative of the hard work, the dedication and the journey through the art process.

Where was I in this? Selina saw art as a long hard process, and she saw her mistakes as a learningexperience. You would think that with this type of student, my job was done. But, once again I acted as a

support to Selina. I shared my appreciation of her hard work. I expressed how I was impressed and inspired by

her dedication, and I praised her on her amazing efforts. I posed questions to help her make next steps, and Iposed questions to help her think through her dilemmas (how to mix the ink, how to carve for clarity, how to

transfer the image, etc.). When she got frustrated, I reminded her of how awesome her art piece would be if she

just pushed on, and I explained how the materials we had were difficult. By explaining that linoleum block

printing was a long and challenging process, I hope I encouraged her to realize her part as the artist would also

be long and challenging.

Stage 3. Celebrate the process, not just the product

Talking with Selina, I was surprised with the seriousness of her thoughts about process over product in

art class. She seemed very passionate about the idea that too much judgment and opinions are made on final artproducts. People always judge the final art piece, but dont know about all the work it took to go into it. People

thinkoh they are good or badand dont ever think about how the artist learned and improved their skills,

Selina stated. I agree that sometimes people have a tendency to judge product over process more when it comes

to art, and, sadly, I see this happen often with art done in schools. I felt that this stage was the final thing I could

do with my students to help them be more aware that the process is something to value, and to celebrate. Whenthe projects were finishedand displayedit was a great time to celebrate the things that went on during the

making of the art pieces, and to show that each student had grown as an artist.Art projects get done at different times. Students never complete things all at once, on a set deadline.

Some finish early, some finish later. When students finished earlier, it was a great time for me to take one-on

one time to support and praise the process. As a student would hand in a project and say they were officiallydone, I would have a mini-celebration and reflection time. I would share how proud I was of them, how

impressed I was with their hard work, and ask them to tell me how they felt and to list the things they were

proud of. We would do either a written reflection, or have the whole class celebrate the hard work of everyone,reviewing all that was learned. The goal was for our class to take time to reflect about challenges, things


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learned, the progress madeand how this allowed us to have strong products. It was a time to celebrate process

over product.For the final stage of the Three Stages of Preparing Perspectives, I emphasized the art process (the

learning and development of the art product) by reminding students of what they did from day one. I stressed

that my appreciations of their hard work, effort and perseverance and the strength and beauty of the final

products was representative of the hard work and learning they put into the art process. With Selina, I still didall these things. I understood that she had a growth mindset, but I wanted to continue to nurture and strengthen

her growth mindset way of thinking. When she handed in her projects I showed my appreciation of the things I

saw during her process. I asked her about what she was proud of and the things she had learned. I asked Selinahow she felt about doing this and she expressed that she appreciated that I was putting importance on the

process and not so much on the product. Selina shared that valuing process is very important because students

are working hard and working themselves up to becoming stronger artists. She also shared that it emphasizesthat students are here to learn art, and that in the process they are going to make mistakes and have challenges

that is why they are in art classto learn and get better. By her saying this it made me more aware of how

valuing process over product can help cultivate growth mindset ideas, as students will see that they can practice

and learn art. It also shows that art is not about talent, but about hard work. I love how Selina stated:

To understand art fully, and to understand artists, you have to know the complicated art process of

dedication and handiwork - you have to know what it took to make the art piece.

I love how she stressed that the true nature of an artist is the hard work and dedication of the art process

not the talent and magical making of an amazing art piece.

For this final stage I used written reflections, conversations and whole class discussions. To strengthen

everything, I had students keep all their drafts so they can look back at their growth. To be honest, I found this

to be very difficult. I first had them post drafts all around the room, not just because the ink from the blockprints had to dry, but also so that everyone could see how art is a process. I also kept everything I got from all

my students. In the end, though I was overwhelmed with paperwork; papers were lost, misplaced or thrown

away. With over 112 students, keeping all of their work from day 1 was a nightmare. Students did not want to

deal with the papers, and they did not care so much about keeping drafts and practice sheets so much as just

being able to keep the final product. Selina had an awesome suggestion:

To show and remind students about the art process just think about having the final product includeportfolios of all their work (past and present) and then make a creative book out of it so it is like a

product. It is a product that is about process. And, in the end of the semester they have a great

bookwhich may help everyone keep track of their own stuff.

I love this idea! I wish I had done this. I love the idea that the whole art process gets shown as a polished

final product. This I feel would help students keep track of their own papers and put more value in keeping

themall while showing the art process.

I found this stage of my Three Stages of Preparing Perspectives to rely heavily on self-reflection.

Though I would praise my students, and encourage them to praise their successesthis stage required studentsto sit down and think about the project, think about what they have learned, and the challenges they faced. This

is where written reflections could be used as a celebration of process over product.

Final Thoughts

I believe that everyone is different, and the way we think makes us beautifully unique. I admire Selina as

an individual and I greatly value how her mindset has allowed her to move through the experiences and learningin our art class with confidence. Hearing her ideas and perceptions of learning art got me to thinking that


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checking in with students expectations is an important step to setting up success in an art class. I also feel that

the type of praise we give our students (praise of the hard work, the practice and effort; not the final outcome orability) and emphasizing process over product are ways that an art teacher can help build confidence and

success in an art room.

One thing I realized by working with Selina was my lack of deliberate practice outside the art room. I

feel that I should push for students to practice more outside my class. I had talked about the importance ofdeliberate practice, and I have students do this in my class, but I do not have my students practice enough

outside of the class. Actually, I dont at all. When Selina deliberately practiced on her own outside of class, it

built her confidence. She felt more prepared, and surer of her work. My school does not give much homeworkoutside of class, and much class time is spent on working on projects. Perhaps students should have deliberate

practice with art skills. I wonder how much of an impact this would have; especially thinking of how much it

affected Selinas confidence.Before concluding my experience with Selina, and her growth mindset, I asked her for some tips on

being an art student and tips for being an art teacher. She was not only an art student this semester, but she also

stepped into the role of an art teacher and researcher. Here are her suggestions:

Selinas Tips for Art Students:1. Dont worry about the final product, worry about the process. If you are focused on the final product

you will find yourself getting distracted, because you will feel pressure from wanting it to look good. In

art class, you are there to learn. Focus on the process of learning and pushing your skillsthen in theend your final product will be strong.

2. If you expect your art to be good, if you expect yourself to be a good artistthen practice more!

Anyone can be an artist, but you have to put in the time and practice.3. Dont worry about what others think, orcomparing your artwork to others artwork. Dont compare

and dont judge in art because everyone is a different artist and everyone grows at a different pace. We

are all at different levels; we all see and experience art differently.

Selinas Tips for Art Teachers:1. When giving examples of artwork and other artists, make sure students understand that the artists are

at a different level (advanced, well-practiced, professional, etc.) and that they are learning. This helps set

realistic expectations for student artwork.2. Emphasize process over final products. You can praise the process by celebrating and recognizinglearning by sharing challenges, how students learned form mistakes and sharing their success.

3. Make sure students are supporting each other and giving positive feedback and reassurance to one

another. If students encourage each other it will make them feel more confident about their art.


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Last words from Selina

Art is a vague word. It can mean drawing, photography, building, dancing, acting, writing, sewing, etc.Find

something inspiring for yourself and get excited about art, but know that you have to work hard to get good atit.


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Section II

Barbara Gordon: Fixed Mindset in Art

Barbara Gordon is a 13-year-old student in 8th

grade and she feels she connects more with a fixedmindset. I had her in 6

thgrade for a semester, and I worked with her again for one semester in her 8

thgrade year

I have known her for almost three years and she is a very special young lady who is known for her big bright

smile and contagious laughter. She has one older sister who she rates as an average artist, though her sister is


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really good at photography. I have worked with her sister and I rate her sister as a strong and capable artist. Her

father is a photographer who majored in art in college and who Barbara feels is a really good drawer, painterand good at everything art related.

Barbara has always instilled great curiosity in my heart as her art teacher. Why? Because in my eyes she

creates wonderful art. Her art is always carefully rendered, is unique in design and it is thoughtful and inspiring.In her eyes, though, she feels that her art is adequate and not really good. We never see eye to eye on the

level of her abilities and the beauty of her artwork. I scratch my head wondering why she doesnt believe me,

and she scratches her head wondering why I think she is so great. She has shared that art teacher complimentsdont count. I dont count because I have to be nice to all students. IfI was a stranger, ora fellow classmate,

especially someone who is not a close friend, however, then my compliments could count. Its like a mother

saying yourebeautiful- it doesnt countbecause she has to say it. I think this is why she wont believe mewhen I rave about her art. Or, perhaps this goes on a deeper level. Barbara shared this with me:

Other people think Im good, but I dontbecause I always know there will be someone better then me.

People see more out of me then I see. I was born an adequate artist, and I will stay that way. Even if Idraw every day, I dont think practice would help my art very much.

That comment has given me some insight into Barbaras way of thinking. She admits, I am totally a

fixed mindset thinker. I dont think I can get much better at art. I think that when I get older Ill level out, evenif I practice a lot. Ill never be a Jean Grey. Jean Grey is the student who all other students believe is the top

artist in the school (more details on this view point in a bit). With these comments in mind, it is clear to both

Barbara and I that she connects strongly with a fixed mindset when it comes to art and to other things in her lifeHaving Barbara in my studio has been great fun, and with this research we were surprised to discover

that she resonates more with a fixed mindset, and, at times, so do I. I guess on a selfish level I decided to work

closely with Barbara and the idea of growth mindset in the art studio because we are very much alike. Shereminds me of myself. I still have a fixed mindset about my artwork when it comes to certain situations. I felt if

I could see how Barbara adjusts to a growth mindset, then I could learn from her. And, as her teacher, I want her

to believe that she does create amazing artwork, and that with practice she will only get better (and this really

does connect with other things in her life as well). At times when I practice my own art, I struggle with the

frustrations of having a fixed mindset, and yet when I teach I strive to 1have a growth mindset for my students.

My Relationship with Art by Barbara Gordon


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I dontreally like doing art on my own.

I define art as anything creative, anything you

think of that is different from normal and

something you can create or make. Drawing,sculpture, acting, writing and music are all types

of art. It is a different way of thinking. Unique.

Creativity is thinking outside the box. Somepeople dont think of anything different. Im not

really creative. If I have inspiration or something

I need to make better or improve on, then I canthink of a creative way to make it better. But, if I

dont have that inspiration or motivation I cant

think of anything creative. Plus, it is always

frustrating to make those ideas and inspirationsinto art.

When I was little I made stuff for fun, but now I

dont find it fun. Unless Im really into it - likemaking things that will be Barbara Proof

which means: its hard to make it look bad. I

dont even remember any art in elementaryschool, or even in 6

thgrade much. I remember

clay, and it was fun, but I think I failed at that. I thought I could do something, and I tried and it ended up not

working. Failed.

I mostly enjoy art class because the people I work with and that we do different things besides just drawing. If

it were strictly drawing or strictly painting then I would hate art class. We do different things, and work with

different materials, so I like that. We do things you would not think of doing in a normal art class. Things that

are more hands on building, instead of just drawing, are more fun and enjoyable.

When it comes to art,I dont think Im good at transferring what I think in my headonto paper. I see somethingin my mind but I cant think of how I could make it myself. This is mostly in drawing and painting, and at times

with writing. With art and writing I can think of something, a really good story or an idea but I dont know how

to transform it to put it on paper.I just dont know how to make it concrete.

The only art I really do outside of school is when I doodle. I dont take classes and I dont sit down and do art,

unless Im really bored and looking for something to do. If I have art homework Ill do it. Perhaps the only art

that I do is acting, music (piano and drumming), sometimes photography. But, no visual arts like drawing and

painting.

Drawing exercises give me anxiety and Im always hesitant to do the work. If I knew we were going to do lots

of drawing, I would feel dread, because I feel like the art teacher would expect me do something better thenwhat I can do. Realistic drawing or drawing in general is bad!

Im not really good at art. Other people think Im good, but I dont cause I always know there will be someonebetter then me. People see more out of me then I see. No one has said anything bad about my art in the past,

just helpful criticism and feedback or positive things.


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The Fixed Mindset Art Experience

I know I am not a good artist, or will ever be. I am the way I am and it works for me.Barbara Gordon

Working with Barbara in class is really fun because her vibrant energy is contagious and she alwaysmakes me smile. She has an awesome sense of humor and her heart is filled with kindness. Barbara is also a

mystery because what you see is not all of who she is. Watching her work in art class you almost would never

know that she was struggling so much with her confidence in art. What you see is a vibrant, cheerful studentwho dives into her art with high energy. What she actually feels is stress, anxiety and frustration.

Though her fun personality and big smiles come off sometimes as if nothing is bothering her, if you

listen carefully you will hear self deprecating comments said in a joking or playful manner; these comments

show how Barbara struggles with how she feels about art. Barbara states: I know I am not a good artist, norwill I ever be. I am the way I am and it works for me.I wonder how this works for me really looks and feels

like in the art studio. How does she experience a fixed mindset in an art class? How does it work out for her?

When I asked how Barbara felt about her art skills and her being an artist she expressed that she does

not feel confident and that, at times, she feels a little nervous and apprehensive. The words Barbara used todescribe how she feels in art class were: stress, frustration, anger and annoyance. These feelings were caused by

her disbelief that she could not make quality art, and that she was not an artist. When asked to do an art project

she felt she had to confront her lack of art skills and lack of being a good artist. Her fixed mindset actedmore like a brick wall. This brick wall prevented her from seeing her potential, from acknowledging her growth

and from enjoying the benefits of exploring art.

As we move into Barbaras experiences through the art studio with a fixed mindset, Barbara shares her

perspective and definition of fixed and growth mindsets, so we have a clear understanding of how she sees

things. After we read the brief handout (Appendix E) about mindsets in class, took the mindset quiz (Appendix

F), and had whole class discussions about mindsets, I asked Barbara to write down her views and descriptions

of each mindset. These were her results:

Barbara views someone with a growth mindset as:

Someone who can change their abilities. A person who believes they can change things about themselves. Someone who has an open mind about changing themselves and what they are able to do. Someone with a can-do attitude or someone who believes that they can do anything, become anything

and get better with each try.

Someone who thinks, with practice, they can get better and actually become good at something.Barbara views someone with a fixed mindset as:

Someone whos not willing to change his or her opinion on what they can do or are able to do. Someone who believes that natural ability and talent shows you what you are and are not good at. Someone who things that practice will only take you so far because you are made to be a certain way. A person who feels that what you do is a reflection of your true self.

When Barbara had learned about mindsets, she was confident that she was predominantly a fixed

mindset. She expressed: I take comfort in how I feel about a fixed mindset and art. I dont push myself for a

growth mindset. I am fine thinking this way.She continued to share that she was fine with thinking this way,because she was used to thinking this way, and it just felt like part of her character. She did not see how a fixed


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mindset was an issue. This was a strong statement, and I wondered if she would change her mind the more

she learned about the ways a growth mindset could help ease her apprehensions and fears with art. I wondered ifworking with her and following the Three Stages of Preparing Perspectives would help change her viewpoints.

Barbaras Thoughts & Experiences with the Three Stages of Pr epari ng Perspectives

I have many students who feel this way. You might too

They feel that they:

Cannot learn to be a strong/good artist. Have low confidence in their art skills. Have low confidence in themselves as artists. Are anxious, apprehensive and/or stressed out when it comes to making art.

I wondered if I could remedy these feelings, and help Barbara have a more positive experience with the

arts. Would the Three Stages of Preparing Perspectives be able to change her view on her art and herself as an

artist? Would I be able to help build Barbaras confidence in art class? How much of an impact could I make on

Barbaras views about art?

Stage 1: Learning to Set Realistic Expectations & Stop Making Comparisons

If someone feels as though they cant learn art, and do not have the ability to be an artistwhat type of

expectations do they set for themselves? When you feel you cannot do something, do you give up from the get

go? I was dying to know what expectations Barbara had for herself, because I had never seen her give up or dopoor quality work, yet she did feel that she could not make good art. What standards did she have for herself?

At the beginning of each project I checked in with Barbara about her expectations. I found her

expectations to be intriguing because she always set clear expectations for herself and her work. They wereconcrete and hardcore: I expect my work to be nothing but the bestand usually it is not, but I still try, she

stated. She continued to share with me that she expects herself and her work to be nothing but the best of the

best, and to find out if she is, she looks at other students who she perceives as strong artists in the classto

compare her art work with theirs.Basically, I saw two things stand out during this stage one, working with Barbara:

1. She set an unrealistic expectation for herself. She felt that she could never meet her expectationbecause she felt she was not a good artist capable of making good artwork (yet she expected herself to

be anyways).

2. The habit of comparing her art to otherstudents art affected how she perceived her own growth and

accomplishments and caused her to judge herself negatively, thus decreasing confidence.

I wanted Barbara to focus on I will do the best I can instead of comparing herself to others and passingjudgment (i.e. -being the best of the best). I would need to:

Have her re-think her expectations for art class and develop more realistic expectations focusedon the process of creating art.

Show her how people are at different levels in art, so comparing proves to be useless in an artroom. I would encourage her to see this by looking at her progress and seeing the process of art

(this can also be done in Stage 2 of Preparing Perspectives), so that she may stop comparing.


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Barbara has the expectation that her work should be the best in the class. She also believes that she is a

poor artist and that she will never be able to do good work. The combination of both of these things meansBarbara is destined for unhappiness and failurein her mind. I always strive to be the best of the best. But, I

know in certain subjects like art, I cant ever be. Its a let down. But, I cant help it, Barbara explained. I felt I

needed to work through and help her re-set her expectations to help increase her confidence. This proved to be a

major challenge.

You are what you make

During our linoleum block-printing project (which was the first project of the semester) Barbara worked

incredibly hard on her artwork. She was patient and she was focused. When I checked in with her about her

expectation of being the best of the best she commented that still felt that was her expectation. I talked with hera bit about it being great that she aims high and pushes herself, and I explained why she should just do her best

and not compare herself to others, since all artists were at different levels. I showed her how others practiced

more, I showed her the improvements she made through her handwork and still she had this expectation. She

explained, I know all that stuff about people being at different levels. Butstill I have to be the best of thebest. She continued to explain that even though she felt that she was a bad artist and she knew her work would

be far from the best, she still set this almost unattainable (in her viewpoint) expectation.

No matter how I tried to work with her to shift her expectation it never changed. I did learn more about

why she had set this expectation for herself though. Barbara shared her viewpoint:

What you do is a reflection of who you are. I am strict and hard on myselfbecause I think what I do

reflects uponmyself. I take it very

personally. What I make

represents who I am. Thedrive to not be bad

drives me to complete

things cause I know it

would look worse if I didnt

stick to finish the artpiece.

The idea that what

you do is a reflection on

who you are is very much a

fixed mindset way ofthinking. People with fixed

mindsets believe that what

you do and what you make

is who you are as a person,

so if someone does not likewhat you did or what you

made, a fixed mindsetperson would take it very personally and their confidence levels may decrease.I actually realized, talking to

Barbara, that this is something I believe in as well. This is the fixed mindset part of me. When someone

criticizes my artwork, or something I create, I take it as a personal attack on who I am as a person. Incomparison, a growth mindset person thinks that what they do and create it not representative of who they are as

a person.

Comparing our work (and ourselves) to others


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I was now aware of the fact that comparing artwork connects with expectations and judgment. What Ifound interesting about Barbara was her need to compare herself and her work to her peers in order to see if she

upheld her expectations. She needs to compare to see if she is the best. Barbara shared with me that she is very

very hard on herself. When she compares her artwork she is using the comparison as a way to judge herself

and her work, and to rate herself as either above average, average or below average, to see if her expectation ofbeing the best was accomplished or not. Does this allow her to push herself to grow and learn, or does this

expectation of being the best of the best lowerher confidence?

From this comment we can see how Barbara uses comparing artwork as a way to judge herself: I thinkIm average when it comes to art, especially compared to Jean Grey. Remember earlier, when Barbara said,

Ill never be a Jean Grey? I was very curious about this idea of comparing ourselves to our peers because I

know many students (and adults) do this. We compare ourselves to see how we rate with others, instead ofcomparing ourselves to our past selves to see if we have gotten better over time.

I compare myself to others to see how Im doing. I pick only the best to compare myself with. Even if I

dont practice as much as they do, I still compare myself to the top student. I especially do this withsubjects I dont feel I do well in. Like Humanities I feel good about how I do, and I dont really compare

myself. I think also because there isnt a way to compare myself with a top student (cause I am the top

student), andbecause I dont get a chance to see others work. The way our class does math there is a

ranking system where you can see how everyone is progressing so I can compare myself. Since art isvisual and you can see everyones work, I can compare there too.

As a side-note, this is an interesting comment for teachers to think about, especially for art teachers.When work is visual and public, other students can see the varying levels of skillcomparing is very much a

natural temptation. What can we do to help this? I would like for students to compare their old work, to current

and then future work so they can see their very own personalized progress, not the progress of others, or theirwork compared to other students. Art is so personal. Should comparing artwork occur in an art room?Now, Im

not so sure.

If we all do the same project with the same outcomes, then I compare myself to others because it is

easy and right there in my face. But, when a project has different outcomes I dont compare myself asmuch because the work is so varied and it is harder too.

There have been many comments and reflections Barbara has said that have triggered thoughts in my

head, but the comment above is one of the first student comments that stands to effect the way I run my projects

in the studio. Projects that do not have identical outcomes (no one drawing the same object, students create their

own art projects of their choice, students use different materials, etc.) do not trigger the natural tendencies ofstudents to compare themselves to one another. Students can look back on their own work, but not, easily, on

that of others.

Our second project of the semester was a project called To Let My Mind Wander. This project

required students to daydream and create a project that represented any thoughts, feelings, or questions that

popped into their brains. They could draw and create anything. The outcome was varied and individualizedaccording to the artists and no one would have similar art pieces. Barbara had explained that this was her

favorite project because she felt she could not compare, and that she felt more relaxed and had more fun. Ahhperhaps this was a small success for us. By eliminating the chances of comparison in the art studio stress levels

can go down, and better experiences with art can go up.

What seemed to work for Barbara was not to tackle her expectations for herself but to alter the projectsin my class so that she and other students could not compare each others artwork so easily. By having products

that vary in end results and that strictly represent the artists, Barbara had a difficult time judging herself based

on others skill which eliminated some stress and increased her enjoyment of the project. Throughout thesemester Barbaras expectation still held strong, and no matter what I did she still held onto her expectation for


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herself to be the best of the best. I saw how, in her eyes, she did not meet her expectation and how it was

discouraging for her. But, having her more relaxed in art class and enjoying art through the To Let My MindWander project was a success. I know this may not have been a straight forward way of setting realistic

expectations, but I was able to find something that allowed her to enjoy the art and feel good about something

she made.

Stage 2: If you are good at something, you shouldnt have to try

The biggest challenge for Barbara and I was during the development process for each art project. Whenworking with Barbara during Stage 2 of Preparing Perspectives: In Art There is Process: You Learn and Make

MistakesI had a very difficult time getting Barbara to have a positive outlook about her art, having her see

mistakes as learning experiences and proving to Barbara that her hard work and effort was evidence in herwork. This was the time I felt her fixed mindset was pushing back on me.

I wanted to prove to Barbara that she could learn art, and that progress in art class would only strengthen

her art skills. I also wanted to show her the benefits of having a growth mindset. During the process stage of an

art project Barbara told me that she felt that making mistakes and trying hard were both proof that she was notgood at something.

Barbara saw the mistakes she made as complicated dilemmas that were more of a nuisance then a

learning experience because she saw them as signs she was not a strong artist. Her mistakes were like anbillboard that advertised, Barbara is not gifted with in art. Cant you tell? Just look at all of these mistakes in

herart piece! Barbara would frequently comment negatively about her work, with statements such as I cant

do this, look at this mess, This looks terrible, I suck or Oh my God. I cant get this right. To her thesemistakes were signs that she was incapable of doing the work. No matter how much I pointed out her progress,

and how mistakes were expected during each project; that they were sign she was trying, she was learning, and

she was improving, she never believed me. Even when I showed her evidence, by pointing out theimprovements she made from her mistakes, she didnt believe me that mistakes in art were an indication that

one was learning. Barbara expressed, Even, when I practiced it still wasnt worth it because it never turned out

the way I thought it would. Practice was useless. The fixed mindset kept Barbara from growing, and prevented

her from feeling more confident in class.

During our linear insect sculpture project Barbara came across many challenges with the structure andstrength of her insect sculpture. The structural knots were not holding tightly, pieces kept falling off and, a few

times, the whole sculpture fell apart. Frequently, she came to me to vent her frustrations and point out hermistakes. This was a great time for me to step in and point out how art has challenges and how she could use

her problem solving skills to figure out a solution. But, it was difficult to convince her that her struggles were

signs that she was learning and growing, and that her mistakes were signs that she was figuring things out.

Remember earlier when Barbara expressed that she believes what she does is a reflection of who she is? Shesaw these mistakes as a reflection that she was not doing a good job and therefore was not a good artist. I dont

think I can get much better at art. I think when I get older Ill level out - even if I practice a lot. Even if I drew

every day, I dont think practice would really help me. Even as Barbara and her partner worked through the

sculpture, Barbara seemed to have a negative perception of the work that she was doing. She played it off a bit

by making the sculpture a joke and a playful thing.Talking with Barbara about mistakes gave me more insight into how she viewed mistakes and failed

attempts. Barbara believes that the first time you try something, the outcome is representative of whether youwill be good at it or not. What comes easily and naturally for her is what she is good at, and those activities are

the things she is talented at, or meant to do. I have given up on things that I am not great at the first time. If I

was meant to be good at it, I would be good at it or it would feel easy the first time. The battle rages betweenthose who believe that innate talent creates beautiful work and those who believe that practice makes perfect.

Based on Barbaras comments, its clear which side of the argument she is on. A fixed mindset person believes

that if you have to try hard at something, youre not ever going to be good at it. Trying hard is a sign that you donot have the ability, cannot get the ability and are not ever going to have the ability.


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Working with Barbara and trying to have her see her growth and progress made me realize I do not

structure my class with enough deliberate practice. Students move through various projects and do a littlepractice in class, but not enough to where they can clearly see progress was made in their skills. Should students

be assigned art homework, for practice? If so, how much will this help their confidence? I wonder about ways I

could incorporate deliberate practice in my class, and if this would be a worthwhile way of raising confidence in

my students.

Stage 3: Pressures to Exhibit: Finding ways to celebrate process and product

The big question was if Barbara was going to see improvement and progress during the process of

making her art projects. In the end, I believe she did. But, I dont think she made any progress towards

developing a growth mindset and believing that she was capable of becoming a great artist. When we didreflections, she did not see mistakes as signs of learning, nor did she see art as a skill that anyone could learn.

One of the many things Barbara opened my eyes to was that of all our reflections, conversations about learning

and process, praise for the process of art making, questioning expectations and so on, nothing was nearly as

influential as my actions during the final public displays of their final products. She showed me that she sawmore emphasis and celebration of final products in my art studio than she did of the process itself. Ouch. That

was definitely not my goal.

Whenever I do a product that I know will be in an exhibition, where people are going to see it, it makesme feel stressed out because it has to be perfect. - Barbara Gordon

Two out of three of her projects were posted in public view, for all to see. Her first project, a linoleum block-printing project was not only posted in public view, but it was showcased in a class display case under bright

lights. She knew it was going to be displayed, but not to that extent. I think her work is phenomenal. But, I

wonder, after sharing that comment about her being stressed out, knowing her working was going to be seen byothers did I do the right thing? Isnt art supposed to be showcased to the world? As a teacher who is proud of

her students and their work, shouldnt I show off their amazing art?

Barbara stated, knowing our art is always displayed puts stress on me and prevents me from enjoying

art as much as I could. It hurt to hear this. As their teacher, I went through the process with my students. I saw

all the learning, the handwork, the struggles and the effort. To me, the final product was representative of alltheir commitmentI had to show it off. Art speaks, and I always felt I had to put the art up to show the world

what my students have to say and what they have been working on. Was I doing the right thing? Was the factthat I was constantly displaying final product solidifying the idea that product matters more than process? I

thought displaying work made students feel pride and a sense of accomplishment. I really thought it would

increase their confidence. Working with Barbara made me realize that maybe I was securing fixed mindset

thoughts by emphasizing final products, and not emphasizing the process. Even though we would do reflectionslook back at the progress we made and celebrate improvementsI was still making a bigger celebration with

the final product by having elaborate displays and fancy exhibitionsfancy exhibitions without any indication

of how far the students had progressed during the process.

In all my years of training in art I never showed process in exhibitions or displays. I was trained to

believe that the artwork was supposed to be strong enough to stand on its own. The artwork was supposed toshow all the passion, the thoughts, the dedication, the effort, etc.without any extra displays of your drafts,

your mistakes, your struggles and learning. When I trained to be a curator, displaying my work and the work ofother artists, art was meant to stand strong and stand best alone. When I became an art teacher, I kept this

mentality. To me, when I looked at my students work I saw the process. But, do other people? And, more

importantly, do the students?I asked Barbara, looking back at her semester in art, if I had put up her drafts, showed her process and

put up her project, would she feel less stressed. Would she relax enough to explore and experiment more with

her art, perhaps seeing that she was learning. She gave me a powerful response: If I could just worry aboutlearning, exploring and making mistakes, then, yeah, I would learn more and not judge my art work as much.


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WAIT A MINUTE! Barbara has now confessed that she could learn art and learn from her mistakes. What

happened? What changed? Before she did not think this way. Before she felt that she could not learn. Hermistakes were signs that she could not create quality art. Could it be this simple to help her feel better? Would

decreasing stress increase her confidence?

I believe two important things happened here:

1. Barbaras mindset shifted a little bit towards a growth mindset (more on this in a minute).

2. We figured out what was blocking her perspective that she couldnt learn art.

If Barbara felt she could explore and experiment, without an exhibition looming, she would not worry so

much about her mistakes. Thus, not only would she enjoy making art more but she might learn more as well.With the fear of putting her mistakes in public view she restrained herself and forbid herself from doing

anything but the best. In this way, she prevented herself from having an exploring/experimenting phase where

she could learn more about art. I had two questions now: (1) how much does just showing final products in art

displays affect students? (2) What is the best way to celebrate process over product?

It was great to have students do reflections where they looked back at the work they have done, thought

about their challenges/struggles and how they overcame them, and it was great to share their growth and

learning with each other. Taking time to point out the learning and improvements they made secures a growthmindset way of thinkingthey can learn, they can grow. But, those students with a fixed mindset have a

difficult time believing that they have learned and can grow. In Barbaras case, the learning and the growth

were secondary, or even irrelevant, in the face of an impending exhibition, that she held back. The final productheld so much weight for her that she restrained her exploring and experimenting, and the stress secured her

fixed mindset, telling herthat her mistakes were unacceptable and proof she sucked and could not do

anything right.A big, extravagant, blow-out exhibition where parents and outside visitors come to see the artwork

seemed to hold more importance and weight then the reflections and share outs, for students like Barbara.

Knowing that at the end of the project their work would be seen by hundreds of people, thatwas pressure.

Sohow do I change this?

Exhibitions are a big part of my schools culture. Exhibition is a celebration of learning; the studentshard work and a way to show parents and visitors the amazing things our students are capable of. At least, that

is how some see it. For Barbarait was pressure to show-off work;it was a time when your work had to

represent all that you were worthand a time when your art had to be perfect, and the best of the best, or

people would know you sucked at art. For Barbara, exhibition was a time to be judged.There was a disconnect between how I saw exhibitions and art displays and how Barbara saw them. I

thought about when I had to do exhibitions and gallery shows. There was one difference. I had choice. I had

choice in which art project went up. I had choice in how I presented my work. I always had the choice to put my

artwork in a show, or to opt out. Shame on meI never gave my students choice. I was too proud of my

students. I just had to put up their artwork. I thought it was all so awesome and great. I love my students and Ilove their art. But, perhaps, I should give them a say in the matter.

What if I gave my students a choice to exhibit their work? It could look like this:

1. Students could either put their artwork up for display in public view, or just show their parents.2. Students could pick either a draft, some part of the process or the final product to be displayed.3. Students could share either via presentation, a written paper or some other way of sharing the skills they

learned during the art process.4. Students could arrange their own displays and exhibitions.


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This would help take off some pressure, and help students and others see that the process was more thenjust the final KABOOM of the final product and the end celebration. As for the way I display work: I need to

put aside my trained ways and show process. Knowing myself, I cant put messy drafts, crinkled old papers of

notes and un-matching stuff in with my displays but I could create a separate display off to the side, so as not to

distract from the main display.

Final Thoughts

Being in art class with a fixed mindset drove me crazy because I wanted to do what other people did

(make mistakes, take risks and feel like they can learn art), but I couldnt I had fun in class, but it was stillfrustrating.

Working together for over a semester, Barbara began to see the benefit of having a growth mindset. She

recognized how her own fixed mindset contributed to her stress, anxiety and frustration in art class. She alsoidentified particular aspects of our class that amplified this stress. Luckily, they were aspects of the class that I

could do something about. Earlier in the semester, Barbara had commented, I think that if you try to push kids

like me to have a more open mindset, I would pretend that I could do thatbut really its not going to change

my mindset at all. After the semester of working together, Barbara said, It took me a long time to change myway of thinking and mindset. But, remember, you spent a long time with me. You pushed me. Barbara has

taught me so much, and together we have grown and shifted slightly towards more of a growth mindset.

Barbaras Tips for Art Students1.Try your best to experiment, explore and make mistakes, even if it feels really bad. Try to remind

yourself that its ok.2. Ask for other ways of showing that you learned, other than by showing your work to others.

3. You probably are learning and getting better even if it seems that nothing ever changes.

Barbaras Tips for Art Teachers

1. Have each kid make artwork that is unique to them, so no one can judge and compare. If each projectis totally created and unique to the person, it is harder for students to compare.

2. Take the stress off of students with more fixed mindsetsexhibit the mistakes, the process andthe growth. Dont make such a big deal out of exhibition.

3. Give me the opportunity to see that my practice matters and that it isnt just a waste of my time.


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Last Words from Barbara

Remember you are in art class. You are a student first, then an artist. In art class, you are there to learn how

to make art so you will make mistakes, you will explore and experiment. That is how you learn and become astronger artist.


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Section III

Arthur Curry: Mixed-Mindset in Art

Arthur Curry has a fantastic sense of humor. He also is a positive influence in the class and a hard

worker. He is a laid back young man with a heart of gold. He cares about his education, and he cares about his

fellow classmates. Arthur is my mixed mindset case study. He is the one who flips back and forth between agrowth and fixed mindset. I envision Arthur as a balance with a fixed mindset on one side, and a growthmindset on the other. Depending what we do in class, he tips one way or the other. Together, would Arthur and

I be able to tip the scales in favor of a growth mindset?

Arthur has shared that he does not feel stress or anxiety because of some of his fixed mindset ways ofthinking. He accepts things that he can and cannot do, and he is okay with his abilities being stronger in some

things than in others. Arthur commented, I think it is okay if I am naturallybetter at some things than others.

Its fine. Im okay with not being able to be good at some things because I know there will be other things that I

am good at. What I found so interesting about Arthur is his acceptance of having or not having certain abilitiesHe does not stress when he feels he cannot do something, he does not feel anxiety or frustrationhe just

accepts it. Depending on the context and the medium, he feels he has either a growth mindset or a fixed

mindset. I also found this to be a very popular way of thinking with adults. I feel the slogan of mixed mindsetthinking may be: I can learn this, but I cant learn that.

With Arthur, confidence was not necessarily an issue. Because of his acceptance at being good at that,

and not this his confidence was not necessarily affected in art class. Was cultivating a growth mindset going to

be appropriate for this type of student? Yes. I could not understand in my head why some students felt theycould learn certain things in art, but not others. I asked Arthur why he felt he could learn certain art materials

and not others. He replied, I dont know. I just think I can learn some, but with others, even if I try and

practice, it just doesnt work. I cant do it. I reminded him that some materials and some concepts can beharder then others. I shared that sometimes they take longer to learn, like in math. I asked him what was hard to

learn in math. Arthur simply shared Its math. Anyone can learn math. Art is different. Naturally I asked why

and he stated:

Art is something you have to have in your D.N.A. You can learn certain things, but other things, to be

really good and unique, you just have to be born with certain qualities. Like a different way of thinking,

a different muscle control, and things like that. I think a person born from an artist family will naturallybe better then another person born from a non-artist family. If both train to be artistsI think the artist-born kid will be better.

It was hard to continue the conversation after Arthur shared his point of view. Thinking about Arthurand his acceptance of abilities, and lack of abilities, I felt that even though his confidence was solid, and he

didnt feel stress or frustration, my overall goal of cultivating a growth mindset wouldbenefit him. Sure, he felt

fine and happy in my class. But, wouldnt he feel even better if he felt he could learn anything in art, and do

everything well in his eyes? I think so.


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My Relationship with Art by Arthur Curry

Art is an expression of ones self.

Its expressing yourself in a way that nothing else can.

Everyone makes different art and it is unique to yourself, thats a cool thing.

There are different types of art:

Documents

Findings: Part II