In the context of growth mindset, this post is about teachers also having a growth mindset about their students. I frequently hear something along the lines of, "How intelligent are my students?" I propose to permute the words.
"How intelligent are my students?"
"How are my students intelligent?"
The second question is the one that can make a difference in our classrooms. If we think about our students and what they are good at, we then have a place to start with our tasks and problems. Knowing where your students are at is a fundamental component of good teaching.
If you don't know specifically what your students are good at, then it's time to start giving them more opportunities to do math in a way that let's you see how they think. Perhaps try a think-pair-share or get students to work in groups on a couple of problems, and go and visit.
How are your students intelligent?
