Carol Dweck's research on fixed versus growth mindset is increasingly revolutionizing classrooms and schools. Yet growth mindset is not the norm in cultural competency work. Fixed mindsets hinder conversations, willingness to engage with discomfort, and ability to learn from mistakes. Growth mindsets engender courage, resilience, and humility across difference. Learn about the setbacks caused by fixed mindsets and forward movement affected by growth mindset.

1. NWAIS Fall Conference
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
Growth Mindset
and Cultural Competency
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2. Key Elements of Cultural Competency
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Value Orientation
Diversity as Value Added
Respect
Relationships
Equity

3. Key Elements of Cultural Competency
Thought Orientation
Knowledge
Awareness
Systems Thinking
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4. Key Elements of Cultural Competency
Action Orientation
Consciousness Building
Capacity Building
Assessment
Adaptation
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5. Missing From the Conversation:
Growth Mindset
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6. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
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7. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
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FIXED:
• If you are a good
person, you must be
competent.
• Incompetent people are
bad.
• The “badness” of bias
can be removed once
light is brought to it.
• Once it’s gone, it’s gone
forever, and you will
never make mistakes.
GROWTH:
• We are all on a journey,
and competence is
always aspirational.
• Incompetent people just
have not had enough
exposure and practice.
• We are continuing to
undo learning that the
world still socializes us
to learn.

8. Challenges
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9. Challenges
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FIXED:
• I don’t feel safe.
• We can have this
conversation when we
are truly ready.
• If we talk about it, things
will get worse.
GROWTH:
• I am uncomfortable – I
must be learning a lot.
• As much as we have
much more to learn, we
need to engage in this
conversation.
• Not talking about it will
result in status quo, and
status quo is not an
option.

10. Obstacles
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11. Obstacles
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FIXED:
• We had that
conversation once,
and it was disastrous.
• I tried to build
relationships with
members of that
group, and they
weren’t interested in
connecting with me.
GROWTH:
• Mistakes in this work
are inevitable.
• I learned so much in
that setback. That
learning will be so
useful for me going
forward.

12. Effort
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13. Effort
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FIXED:
• Some of my best
friends are ***
• I already know this
stuff.
• Why can’t we just
get along?
GROWTH:
• If I really want
authentic
connection, I have
to try harder.
• Anything worth
doing will be
difficult.

14. Criticism
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15. Criticism
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FIXED:
• Are you calling me a
racist? Well, I’m not.
• We’re a great and
loving school. You
are just being
negative.
• Things were fine until
you brought it up.
GROWTH:
• Thank you for
bringing this to my
attention.
• Wow, I didn’t realize
that was a blind spot
for me until now.
Thank goodness now
I know.

16. Success of Others
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17. Success of Others
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FIXED:
• Well, she may know
about race, but she
knows nothing about
class.
• Of course he knows
about ability – he’s
disabled. How am I
supposed to know as
much?
• Well, I wouldn’t do it
that way.
GROWTH:
• I wonder what work
she did to get to the
point she is at in her
understanding.
• I should ask that
person for some
advice on how I can
grow.
• What does this person
do that can I
incorporate into my
own practice?

18. Long Term Impacts
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19. Long Term Impacts
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FIXED:
As a result, these folks
are stuck in inaction,
worried that they might
give themselves away
as incompetent. Much
energy is spent
intellectualizing,
deflecting, and
defending actions or
points of view.
GROWTH:
As a result, these folks
are always becoming
more and more
competent. Their
relationships are more
authentic and
comfortable, they are
resilient through rough
patches, and they are
eager to learn more.

20. Our Charge as Educators
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