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 puzzle as 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 richer sense 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 the beginning, 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 graph of 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 to better attain a growth mindset from such broad responses. Ultimately, these students helped me to develop the three categories of mindsets that I use in my research: strong growth, strong fixed and mixed mindsets. They also felt that since I was learning about mindsets too, and how to help students, I should work closely with just a few students instead of the whole class. 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 comments like, 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 a couple students you 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 working with 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 three students, 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 category the first student felt she could represent growth mindsets, the second a fixed mindset 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 1

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 one has 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 frustrate her 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 mindsets switch 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 how their 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.

Section I
Selina Kyle: Growth Mindset in Art When I started this action research study and was first thinking about my goal to have all students feel confident and successful with art I 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 an open 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 great thing; 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 book on 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 the years 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. Her laughter 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 and Selina 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 could learn 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.

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 and drawing 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 and simple 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 I get inspired to create things myself. If I dont I will forget the things that inspired me, and I like to remember things that inspired me in my life. I like all sorts of art. 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. I like 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 if someone 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 try new 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 openminded 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. Would a 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, I believe that if a student sees that they can learn art and grow as an artist then they are more open to trying out 4

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 mindset about 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 confident but I couldnt help but notice, with art in 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 confident when 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: Selinas believes 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. Selinas believes 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 complete all without you having any confidence in your art skills. How would this affect your performance and your relationship to the arts? Here Selina responds: I would probably 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 do that 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 not have confidence in something I am doing but I have to do it my 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 have increased 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 Preparing Perspectives Working closely with Selina all semester, not only did she get to experience the Three Stages of Preparing 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 5

my classroom. Along the way, moving through these stages and art projects, Selina has given me advice, feedback and insight. Stage 1. 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 it makes 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 to someone 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 of art 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 a place 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 Selina was setting low expectations for her self; in fact, her expectations were high. She expected her work to represent hard work, great effort and to illustrate that she cared about what she was doing. There was never a time when I noticed Selina setting low expectations. She always pushed herself and she believed one should have expectations a little above your art level. Her expectations were challenging, and supportive of her growth as a student. Take, for example, her work on a linear sculpture project. I had students create a linear sculpture installation project with insect shapes called The Swarm. Students were asked to capture the linear design of an 6

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 installation on 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 of other kids doing more popular and similar insects and I wanted to do something totally different from 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 from everyone 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 the only 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 to try 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 but they 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 be realistic and attainable, and the goals will be realistic but challenging. This will help the student feel more 7

successful because the expectations and goals were met. If for some reason they are not the 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 my painting 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, and look 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 art teacher 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 felt that I needed to help students set positive and achievable expectations. Walking around and checking in with students by asking their expectations, and talking 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 other people 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 am proud Im learning and getting better. I am a growing artist that grows at my own pace. I dont find the value of judging my art, or judging 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 Selina her ability to not judge her art. How does she 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 is an art student and that she is learning. It is her expectation that she knows she will work hard, and put in the time but 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 to make 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 push through 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 Selina and 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 stronger design (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. It was like a boost of positive energy and confidence for them. 8

Think of it this way as 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 concrete examples 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 in with 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 are so 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 see how 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 and came out weird how 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 Selina is positive, confident and has a growth mindset it 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 the process 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 were asked to write a poem and then create an image (and make a block print) that represented the poem. Selina 9

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. I shared 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 not losing 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 water so 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 time getting 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 growth mindset the way of seeing herself as evolving and that mistakes are learning experiences allowed 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 skeleton drawing, 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 learning experience. 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 I posed 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 art products. People always judge the final art piece, but dont know about all the work it took to go into it. People think oh they are good or bad and 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. When the projects were finished and displayed it 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 officially done, 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 10

learned, the progress made and 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 did all 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 Selina how 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 emphasizes that 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 class to 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 block prints 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 include portfolios 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 book which 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 them all 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 successes this stage required students to 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 learning in our art class with confidence. Hearing her ideas and perceptions of learning art got me to thinking that 11

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 or ability) 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 of deliberate 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 homework outside 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 skills then in the end your final product will be strong. 2. If you expect your art to be good, if you expect yourself to be a good artist then practice more! Anyone can be an artist, but you have to put in the time and practice. 3. Dont worry about what others think, or comparing 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 recognizing learning 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 at it.

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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 fixed mindset. I had her in 6th grade for a semester, and I worked with her again for one semester in her 8th grade 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 14

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, painter and 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 compliments dont count. I dont count because I have to be nice to all students. If I was a stranger, or a fellow classmate, especially someone who is not a close friend, however, then my compliments could count. Its like a mother saying youre beautiful- it doesnt count because she has to say it. I think this is why she wont believe me when 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 dont because 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 I draw 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, even if 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 life. Having 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. She reminds 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 dont really 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. Some people 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 can think 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 inspirations into art. When I was little I made stuff for fun, but now I dont find it fun. Unless Im really into it - like making things that will be Barbara Proof which means: its hard to make it look bad. I dont even remember any art in elementary school, or even in 6th grade 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 head onto paper. I see something in 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 then what 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 someone better 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 always makes 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 student who 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, nor will 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 to describe 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 acted more 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 17

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 if working with her and following the Three Stages of Preparing Perspectives would help change her viewpoints.

Barbaras Thoughts & Experiences with the Three Stages of Preparing 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 artist what 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 do poor 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 were concrete 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 class to 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 expectation because she felt she was not a good artist capable of making good artwork (yet she expected herself to anyways). 2. The habit of comparing her art to other students 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 passing judgment (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 focused on the process of creating art. Show her how people are at different levels in art, so comparing proves to be useless in an art room. 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.

be

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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 means Barbara is destined for unhappiness and failure in 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 her a 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 the best. 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 myself because I think what I do reflects upon myself. I take it very personally. What I make represents who I am. The drive to not be bad drives me to complete things cause I know it would look worse if I didnt stick to finish the art piece. The idea that what you do is a reflection on who you are is very much a fixed mindset way of thinking. 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 like what you did or what you made, a fixed mindset person 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. In comparison, 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 19

I was now aware of the fact that comparing artwork connects with expectations and judgment. What I found 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 of being 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 lower her confidence? From this comment we can see how Barbara uses comparing artwork as a way to judge herself: I think Im 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 of comparing 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 with subjects 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), and because 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 is visual 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 skill comparing 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 their work 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 as much 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 of students 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 individualized according 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. Ahh, perhaps 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 projects in 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 the semester Barbaras expectation still held strong, and no matter what I did she still held onto her expectation for 20

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 Mind Wander 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. When working with Barbara during Stage 2 of Preparing Perspectives: In Art There is Process: You Learn and Make Mistakes I 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 her work. 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 not good 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 an billboard that advertised, Barbara is not gifted with in art. Cant you tell? Just look at all of these mistakes in her art 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 these mistakes 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 the improvements 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 and strength 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 her mistakes. 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? She saw 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 you will 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 between those 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 do not have the ability, cannot get the ability and are not ever going to have the ability. 21

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 little practice 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 did reflections, 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 saw more 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 makes me 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 blockprinting 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 by others 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 all their commitment I 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 fact that 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 reflections, look back at the progress we made and celebrate improvements I was still making a bigger celebration with the final product by having elaborate displays and fancy exhibitions fancy 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 to show 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 of other 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 about learning, exploring and making mistakes, then, yeah, I would learn more and not judge my art work as much. 22

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. Her mistakes 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 growth mindset way of thinking they 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 product held so much weight for her that she restrained her exploring and experimenting, and the stress secured her fixed mindset, telling her that 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, that was pressure. So how do I change this? Exhibitions are a big part of my schools culture. Exhibition is a celebration of learning; the students hard 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 Barbara it was pressure to show-off work; it was a time when your work had to represent all that you were worth and 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 me I 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 I love 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. 23

This would help take off some pressure, and help students and others see that the process was more then just 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 still frustrating. 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 also identified 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 that but 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 my way 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 Students 1. 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 project is totally created and unique to the person, it is harder for students to compare. 2. Take the stress off of students with more fixed mindsets exhibit the mistakes, the process and the 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 a stronger 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 a growth and fixed mindset. I envision Arthur as a balance with a fixed mindset on one side, and a growth mindset 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 of thinking. 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 naturally better 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 abilities. He does not stress when he feels he cannot do something, he does not feel anxiety or frustration he 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 mindset thinking 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 they could 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 be harder 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 naturally be better then another person born from a non-artist family. If both train to be artists I think the artistborn kid will be better. It was hard to continue the conversation after Arthur shared his point of view. Thinking about Arthur and 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 would benefit 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: drawing, painting sculptures, music, writing, etc. My favorite type of art is music because there are so many different types of music and I like the large variety that I can listen to and learn about. But, for me, I love surfing and that is what I mainly do. I see it as an art, kinda like performance art cause you can get creative and express yourself through your movements. Sometimes I do art outside of class, but not usually. I draw occasionally. I did have art before I came to HTM, probably about two years, everyday for about half an hour. I liked it because it was a break from other classes and a place you could do whatever you wanted. Freedom is fun. I can be considered a good artist, depending on what I do but generally I think I am ok. I am not good at realistic drawing. I know Id always be mediocre even if I practice a lot. Actually, that is true with a lot of art. I think anyone can be a good artist, but some people will also be better at it then others. Some people do not have the desire and do not want to try, and some just were not born to be great. I think some people will be better at some materials then others, so that might help others be stronger artists. I have a lot of fun in art class. I like making different projects. Some come out great, some come out horrible. It really depends on the materials. I think I am naturally good at building stuff, and not so much at doing flat art.

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The Mixed Mindset Art Experience Art is tricky because I can do certain things, but never others. Arthur Curry What is interesting about a mixed mindset student is that they can at times flip-flop between mindsets depending on the content and the materials involved. In a way, I feel that most people are mixed mindsets, and at times, can lean more towards one mindset then another. I would see Arthur struggle with different mindsets in the studio. On one project he would be a growth mindset, another he would be a fixed mindset. Sometimes it depended on the context, other times it was just about his view of himself and of others, meaning he would see others having the ability to grow and not himself, or vice versa. Arthur shares: I think some people are naturally better than others at art. I think some people are born that way (to be artists); maybe this artist thing is passed down in genes and stuff. For some reason, people are better at certain things than others. I see this in art a lot. One student will be good at painting, and then totally suck at drawing. It seems that Arthur believes in the idea of talent and that this idea affects his perception of whether he and others can learn and become good at things. Arthur comments that: Sometimes I see people who dont try and then they make good art. Im like, what the heck? Then I try and I cant get it to look that way at all. Talent is a natural thing. I believe that some people have art talent. Sometimes I think I have it, other times, I totally dont. What is interesting is that Arthur believes people can get better and grow at things, and he can, too, but only within certain contexts. In the above comment it is almost as if talent comes and goes inside of him. Sometimes he may have it in art, and other times he does not. Will the idea of practice and process change his point of view? Perhaps, the Three Stages of Preparing Perspective will help clear some things up for Arthur. His perception of others being good at times affected his way of thinking about art and being able to learn skills. Arthur is an enigma to me. A mixed mindset can be a strange puzzle because its inconsistent and often contradictory. For example, here are the two main things that standout as Arthurs mixed mindset views: 1. He cant learn certain things, but other people can learn them. 2. He can learn how to do one thing, but not another. Why is it that Arthur believes others can learn something and he cannot? And, why is it that Arthur thinks he can learn certain things and not others? If others can learn, why cant you? If you can learn some things, why cant you learn everything? This is all a puzzle to me. Arthur is a mysterious puzzle who I felt could help give me answers and clarity into the mixed mindset experience. Arthurs Thoughts on the Three Stages of Preparing Perspective

Stage 1: Lifting Off Expectations & Judgments in order to Enjoy Art Arthurs laid-back point of view tends to affect his expectations and judgment. He shared that I think someone should not judge themselves too harshly. Whatever you make is what you make, just stand by it. Be proud you did the best you could. I love that. Then he added more Because sometimes you just cant do better 28

cause youre not an artist able to be good at that type of project. I was not sure if Arthurs expectations and judgment were realistic. He expected himself to do the best he could. But I felt he underestimated himself at times. If he felt he could not learn certain things, though he tried his best in a way is it like giving up and settling? How does he know what his best was? I asked Arthur more about his expectations and he shared: Some people are better at certain materials then others. Sometimes I can be better at certain mat erials then others because the way I was raised and the way I was born. I try hard, and if it doesnt come out good, that is okay. Im just not good at it. If I see it is okay or getting better then I know I learned. Ah-ha! Here is some insight. Perhaps Arthur needs to see more process and see that he can learn and also see others get better at things they find difficult. I think the mixed-mindset experience may be all about the idea of talent. Seeing progress through process in art, and seeing ones self and others grow as artists could diminish the idea of talent and help students understand that art is learnable. I can push this idea in the other stages of my process. Back to expectations and judgment are Arthurs expectations appropriate and supportive of his learning? Does judgment exist for him? Aside from the idea that he felt he could only learn some parts of art and not others, his expectations were realistic and attainable. He really only expected to try hard, and do his best. Which I felt was great for an art student. He had shared why he had such a simple expectation for himself: I dont set other expectations in art, because art is weird. You just have to do your best, and who knows what is going to happen. I didnt really know what to think of that. Art is mysterious that way. Sometimes the outcome is very different then what you expect. His comment did not express that art wasnt learnable, as much as it was mysterious. I decided to let well enough alone with Arthurs expectations. Though I did not change Arthurs expectations or judgment (since he did not place any on himself or others) I asked him for advice for others. He shared this: Honestly, if you can tell that your art is poor quality (in your own opinion) then dont set such high expectations, maybe make them at the level youre at. The people who seem to always set high goals seem to do poorly because it is too much to live up to. They get all sad and stuff. To us, it may look good but they never see it that way. Because their expectations are so high they cant look at their art the right way. Just relax. Arthur was very much about relaxing, but still working hard. He felt that by having simple expectations and at your level in art, you were able to still enjoy art and as he put it not bum yourself out. In our To Let My Mind Wander project, Arthur felt that he could let go of any expectations he had. This was the reason why he liked this project the most. Having the time to draw what he daydreamed, and watercolor in a free way allowed him to have an enjoyable experience. During this project I stressed and repeated out loud to my student these three rules: 1. Do not worry what other people think. This is all about you and your style. 2. Let go of any expectations. Just wander in your mind and in your art, and see what comes out. 3. Let go. Be free. No worries. I created this project with Stage 1 of Preparing Perspective in mind. I wanted students to see their expectations and judgment. I wasnt worried if students let go of their expectations for working hard, or doing their best. I just wanted to see what would happen if my students knew they could just do this project without expectations or judgment. I was curious of the outcome. This project was the favorite project of 96% of my students! I guess students really enjoy letting go of expectations. Arthur shares how this type of project made him feel: It was nice to just make art without any expectations. I dont normally put too serious of expectations on myself, though I expect to try hard. I just felt this project made me let go even more and just see art as fun 29

and enjoyable. I liked that, and I felt more connected to my art piece. Like it was mine and represented me more then just a school project. It made me see what you like so much about art. Arthurs comment was supported by other student comments as well. Lanna shared that she felt like this project was the best, because she never worried about how it looked or what other people thought. Mike appreciated that everyones piece was so different that I could feel good about mine being weird and different. What was so drastically different from this project, besides the materials we used, was that everyday I stressed those three rules. What was fascinating was the materials and technique we used were the ones most disliked and considered difficult by students: watercolor, watercolor resist and free hand drawing (no references, no research or inspiration just what comes out of the mind). I think, all along, I could have just had these rules to help students ease up unrealistic expectations and to relax others judgment. If you recall, this was Barbaras favorite project as well. I did not change Arthurs expectations or judgment. What I did get, from talking with Arthur at the beginning of projects, was great advice in how to help other students. I agree with Arthur that relaxing, avoiding judgment, and holding realistic expectations is a great way to help students not only work hard and try their best, but enjoy making art. Stage 2: How the Idea of Talent can conquer a Growth Mindset Could I change Arthurs idea of talent in this stage? Could he see that he can learn anything in art, as long as he practiced? Those were the question that ran through my head with each project Arthur worked on. I also wondered if his growth mindset ideas would be able to dominate over his fixed mindset ideas. Would showing the process in art and the development of skills by making mistakes be able to shift the balance to a more growth mindset way of thinking? During the first project we worked on, a linoleum block printing project, Arthur had a strong growth mindset while working on his art. He used the tips and techniques others students shared in class, he pushed through his mistakes and saw them as beneficial to his learning, and he was proud of his end product. We had kept all his drafts, and he felt strong as an artist. I did not see any signs of a fixed mindset. Arthur stated, I feel like I am good at block printing. I think I learned a lot about the carving part, and that I got really good. I asked him if he had ever done this project before and he replied nope. I asked him if he learned a lot and had seen his mistakes as a good thing. He replied, Yes, I learned a lot about making art. I saw my mistakes as no problem because I learned what I needed to change, and, if I couldnt change anything, then I incorporated my mistakes into my art, which made me be more creative like a real artist. This was a great growth mindset statement. It was not until our final project where I started to see some fixed mindset thinking in Arthur. I started to see a mixed mindset when we worked on the linear insect sculptures. Arthur and his partner where having a difficult time constructing their insect, and the size they chose proved to be, structurally, more challenging. The knots and the bending of the reed set them back from their deadline, because they deconstructed and reconstructed their insect many times. Arthur had different perspective on mistakes with this project: Mistakes show me what I need to do more to get better, or if the same mistakes keep happening even after practice- I just cant do it. With the block-printing project he saw mistakes as beneficial and he learned from them, or if he couldnt change anything, he used his creativity to incorporate them into his art. But, with this new project and new materials (new context) he was starting to see his mistakes as a sign that he just couldnt do it. Nothing changed but the context. What is important to note was that the linear insect sculpture was a much more difficult project. The materials and the concepts were more challenging this time around. It was the last project of the semester so, naturally, it would be a bit more challenging. This project challenged Arthur to face his perception of talent and whether he could learn to use all materials. Sitting down with him and talking about mistakes and learning art, Arthur truly felt that some people were naturally better and stronger at things in art than others. He pointed out that practice, which he felt does help you learn and get better at times, is not always enough to make one a strong artist. He felt that some people are born to be better at things than others. I agree. But, the 30

difference was I saw Arthur as an art student in an art class. He was here to learn about art. I wasnt worried about him becoming a professional artist. He was a student who I needed to teach art to. Arthurs saw my class as a place to learn and make art, but he also saw my class as a place where he learned about himself. He saw school as a place where he was discovering himself and what he liked and was good at, so that he could go to college with a better understanding of what he should do as a major, then with his life. Arthur was thinking very much like an adult. He was learning about himself, and he was seeing that with his mind and his body some things came naturally, which he saw as talent. When things where not coming naturally, and he did not have talent, he found the use in trying and practice. But, with the projects and my art class his idea still remained. He felt things went a lot deeper and on a different level when some people could learn some things, and not others.

Stage 3: Reflect more during the process of art making Arthur believed that process was more important than product. He commented: I think the process is more important because anyone can make something, but what you learn is definitely more valuable. I thought this comment was beautifully stated. In the end of each project, Arthur always shared with me what value he found in the process of the project. Even though, at times, he felt he couldnt learn how to do things (like the linear sculpture project) he would learn things about himself as a student, or other concepts of art. Arthur always did wonderful reflections, but he shared some interesting advice: I think its great when teachers do reflections, but why do they always come at the end? If you want us to appreciate and think about the process of a project, wouldnt it be better to do it during the process? Like, couldnt we have journals or something? And then we could, like, write in them or draw and stuff and make our own documentations of what we are learning, while we are learning? Arthur had an amazing idea. I always have my students wait until the end of a project to do big deep reflections. Sometimes, sure, I do exit slips. But, I keep the exit slips and I do not do them often during a project. Having process journals could be a way for students to document their learning, their struggles, their achievements, their questions, etc. They would have a journal filled with the process, so in the need they dont just fill out a paper with some teacher reflection questions. They could then share this journal at exhibition as a final product, similar to what Selina said about making books about process.

Final Thoughts Working with Arthur has been wonderful, because Arthur always has wise things to say. He opened my mind and educated me on many things. I had thought that working with a mixed mindset would be easy, because if they had growth mindset views, then it would be easy for them to understand how the fixed mindset thinking was not as beneficial and flip them over. But, I found mixed mindsets to be very difficult. I found the idea of talent to be very challenging to face in my class. I also found the flip-flop mindset thinking to be hard to decipher and difficult to follow. In the end, I feel that the idea of talent is a very difficult things to tackle in an art class, and perhaps one of the best ways is diminish this concept is to show growth over a long period of time which my class was unable to provide this time around. Because my class had three completely different projects, each requiring different thinking, skills and techniques, students did not get a long time to practice or see changes in specific areas. This is something for me to think about for next school year. Arthurs Tips for Art Students 1. If you are getting frustrated, or stressed with your art, try to relax and just enjoy the experience of creating. 31

2. When you are new to art, set smaller goals so you feel more confident as you accomplish each one. Then you can maker bigger goals as you improve your abilities. 3. Help others around the art room. It will help you feel more comfortable with the people in class, and they will then help you out when you need it. Arthurs Tips for Art Teachers 1. Show students what it takes to be a professional artist (take classes, practice at home, do not give up, etc.) in real life. This way students know what they need to do to get better. 2. If you want students to see that they can, and are learning art, have them take time to write notes, take pictures and talk with others at least weekly about their struggles and successes. This way students can remember everything from the whole semester. 3. Remind students that good things happen when you work hard.

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Last Words from Arthur

Art is hard. Sometimes things will come easy, and sometimes you have to work hard. Just do the best you can, and always relax and make sure you enjoy what you are making. Find a way to connect with your art so that you have fun, and relax. It will help you art come out stronger.

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