15 minute lecturette delivered at the NAIS PoCC 2014. 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. Learn about the setbacks caused by fixed mindsets and forward movement affected by growth mindset.

1. Missing From the Conversation:
Growth Mindset in Cultural Competency
NAIS People of Color Conference
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
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2. In the Conversation:
Key Elements of Cultural Competency
• Value Orientation
• Diversity as Value Added
• Respect
• Relationships
• Equity
• Thought Orientation
• Knowledge
• Awareness
• Systems Thinking
• Action Orientation
• Consciousness Building
• Capacity Building
• Assessment
• Adaptation
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3. Missing From the Conversation:
Growth Mindset
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4. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
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5. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
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6. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
FIXED:
• If you are a good
person, you must be
competent.
• Incompetent people are
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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.

7. Challenges
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8. Challenges
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.
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9. Obstacles
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10. Obstacles
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 will
be so useful for me
going forward.
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11. Effort
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12. Effort
FIXED:
• If this is so right,
why is it so hard?
• If we were meant to
get along, this
would be so much
easier.
GROWTH:
• If I really want this, I
have to try harder.
• Anything worth
doing will be
difficult.
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13. Criticism
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14. Criticism
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.
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15. Success of Others
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16. Success of Others
FIXED:
• Well, she may know
about race, but she
knows nothing about
gender.
• Well, there’s a lot of
issues his point of
view still doesn’t
address.
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.
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17. Long Term Impacts
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18. Long Term Impacts
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.
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19. Our Charge as Practitioners
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20. Presenter
Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Outreach Specialist
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
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21. Resources
• Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Nurture
Shock
• Carol Dweck, Mindset
• Janet E. Helms, “White Racial Identity
Development”
• Claude Steele, Whistling Vivaldi
• Western Resource Center, Dismantling Racism
• National Coalition Building Institute, Reducing
Prejudices Workshop
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