Powerful Picture Books: Teaching Students to Never Give Up!
My students need picture books that teach the important idea of the growth mindset.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Walton's classroom raised $385
This project is fully funded
My Students
My second graders are an amazing group of students. They love coming to school each day. I teach at a large Title 1 elementary school where my students come from many diverse backgrounds. Although there are many differences among my students, they all share a love for learning. What makes me most proud is how well my students work together and support each other's learning.
I would describe my students as energetic, entertaining, and kind.
They are a wonderful group of kiddos to teach. My goal is for my students to always enjoy coming to school. I want my students to understand that the best way to learn is for them to be challenged.
My Project
The twenty-two picture books selected for this project were all chosen because they teach the idea of the growth mindset, an important concept for both children and adults! People who have a growth mindset believe that they can always improve and they bring a positive attitude to learning. People with a growth mindset do not shy away from challenges. On the contrary, people with a fixed mindset often give up when they are frustrated because they do not understand that they can improve. Students with a fixed mindset are scared of failing because they do not understand how failures can, in fact, lead to more learning.
By reading books with characters who learn from their mistakes and who improve their skills with practice, my hope is that my students will learn to never give up on themselves.
While my students are eager to learn at school now, I worry that as they grow up and school gets more difficult that they will have a hard time being challenged. I see my students giving up quickly now and being quick to ask adults for help. I want my students to feel comfortable when they are being challenged.
The picture books will be read to the class as part of a large growth mindset unit. As I read the books aloud, we will discuss the decisions of the characters and how the characters were able to work hard on their goals. This growth mindset unit will consist of reading not only fiction books but also non-fiction books. By reading the book Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak, students will learn facts about how their brains work and what actually happens when they learn. I cannot wait to help my students become people who are not afraid of making mistakes.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Walton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
