Growth Mindset Wisdom from the Next Generation

Our firm focus for 2025 is Mindset. 

So imagine what a surprise it was to be asked to proofread an essay my 9th grader, Michael, had to write for his Honors English class…and find it written about that very thing! 

His writing prompt was: “How should intelligence be measured?” And his entire essay is below.

Intelligence is like being a turtle; dedicated to learn on its own, being patient with itself, and able to apply knowledge. Having the ability to apply your knowledge is the key to being intellectually smart. There are studies that show how you can work to get more intelligent, also how parents can influence their kids just by saying certain things. This leads into how intelligence should be defined and measured. Intelligence is a major part of people’s lives, it sets them up for their future, getting certain jobs, or getting accepted into an Ivy League college. Two factors that should be addressed on an IQ test should be what their mindset was like growing up and their determination to improve, for a true representation of success.

Every day you have a mindset whether it is good or bad; that mindset is what determines how your day will go. If a kid has a good mindset growing up, they will achieve more. One example from *The Secret to Raising Smart Kids” is “In the seventh grade, however, Jonathan suddenly lost interest in school, refusing to do homework or study for tests. As a consequence, his grades plummeted” (Dweck 1). This exemplifies that mindset is a big part of school and wanting to accomplish your goals in life. So, when one does not have a good mindset there are going to be consequences that can really affect their status. If a kid has a good mindset at one point, it does not mean that he will have it the rest of their life, just like what happened with Jonathan. Mindset is not just on the person, it is also on their parents or the people that encourage them the most. 

Another example from the text, “I monitored 373 students for two years during the transition to junior high school,… As we had predicted, the students with a growth mind-set felt that learning was a more important goal in school than getting good grades” (Dweck 12-13). This demonstrates that when kids change to a higher level of learning, you can see the differences between the kids who have a growth mindset and the kids who don’t. Kids who have a growth mindset, usually will have a higher learning ability and be more intrigued than others while in school. A lot of kids with a fixed mindset focus on getting good grades rather than learning about the subject, they are more concerned about being considered smart and not being smart. In conclusion, everyday you have a mindset and the people around you help determine your mindset for the day, so make sure you surround yourself with people you trust.

An effective intelligence test should consider a person’s determination to improve to be considered valid. According to the text, “Outliers” the author illustrates that “The students who would end up the best in their class began to practice more than everyone else. In fact, by the age of twenty, the elite performers had each totaled ten thousand hours of practice” (Gladwell, 3). This reveals that the author found these situations and observed these kids as they grew up. Gladwell did many tests and found out a lot of information by doing these skills and observing. This allowed him to compare different levels of kids as they got older to find out techniques these kids were doing, such as practicing longer, focusing, and preparing for the future. 

In addition, the author also wrote “the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works” (Gladwell, 5). The author’s point is that kids can be in the same classes their whole life with each other, but what makes one the better performer is how hard they work in those classes and in their off time. This is highlighting how athletes and performers get to the point they are at. Most of them will say that they had to work harder than everyone else. At the end of the story the author is trying to state that an intelligence test does not determine your future, you determine your future by how hard you want to be outworking everyone else, and being the best you can be.

In conclusion, while it is true that most IQ tests can describe someone’s intelligence accurately, it is important to remember that an IQ test should be on what their mindset was like growing up and their determination to improve, for a true representation of success. Although some of your intelligence does come from the genes, it doesn’t mean that limits you from success. Therefore, your mindset and determination remain the most compelling perspective with this ongoing issue.

Michael personifies the growth mindset. Whether he’s dribbling a soccer ball, waxing his surf board, cooking, or studying, he is constantly moving, learning, training. While this can be exhausting for me as his Mom, it is as encouraging as it is refreshing to see this character trait so evident in him. Michael has big life plans and I cannot wait to watch his determination to see them through.

Updated to add: Michael received a 95/100 on this essay!