Mindframes for Educators

In Visible Learning and The Science of How We Learn, Hattie (2013) writes that how teachers think is often more important than what they do. To maximize their effect, says Hattie, teachers have to view hard tasks as worthy challenges, and failure, both their own and that of their students, as an invitation to grow. To learn from errors, and to ensure teachers are continually aware of their impact on students' learning, Hattie (2012) suggests that teachers address the underlying mind frames that shape their thinking. Educators who develop the ways of thinking outlined below are more likely to have a major and sustained impact on student learning.

-Mindframes of teachers, school leaders and systems comes from Visible Learning for teachers by John Hattie (2012):

Mindframe 1: Educators believe that their fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students’ learning.

Teachers must become critical evaluators of their effect on students’ learning. When teachers view their students’ results as a major indicator of their effectiveness, they are far more likely to alter their approach to teaching and learning when it’s clear students aren't progressing.

Mindframe 2: Educators believe that success and failure in student learning is about what they as educators did or did not do.  

Efficacy, a teacher’s belief in his/her ability to produce a desired result, is more crucial for learning than any instructional strategy. Teachers must adopt the mindset that all students can learn and embrace the reciprocal relationship that exists between their effectiveness and students’ success or failure.

Mindframe 3: Educators should talk more about the learning than the teaching.

It is common for teachers to be uncomfortable when students are struggling. When teachers become comfortable in situations where their students are uncomfortable, they're far more likely to stretch students' thinking. Hattie (2012) writes that student achievement increases when teachers view learning through the eyes of students, and students begin to view themselves as teachers. The most effective teachers invest significant time learning from their students about what is working and what is not. Adopting this mindframe means teachers are as much an investigator of their students' learning experiences, as they are an evaluator of their ability to cause that learning.

Mindframe 4: Educators see assessment as feedback about their impact.

Teachers need to willingly abandon many of their K-12 learning experiences. Gone are the days of “gotcha” tests. Teachers must begin to view assessment results (both formative and summative) as a major indicator of their effectiveness. The most successful teachers wonder what they taught well and not-so-well,  and more importantly, who they taught well and not-so-well.

Mindframe 5: Educators engage in dialogue, not monologue.

What are the characteristics of an effective learner? When teachers respond to this question with descriptors like quiet and compliant, they are preparing students for a world of work that no longer exists. Effective learners are curious, persistent, determined, and self-aware. Unfortunately, most classrooms are dominated by teacher talk. To increase the impact of their instruction, teachers need to embrace their role as a listener - they need to actively investigate students’ ideas, questions, struggles and strategies so as to seek insight into their learning. It is equally important that teachers promote student collaboration and teamwork, so as to foster a classroom culture whereby students view each other as learning resources.

Mindframe 6: Educators enjoy the challenge

Hattie (2013) writes that students seek to know more about things for which they already have some surface level knowledge, and that the gap between what students know and what they are to learn has to be perceived by them as bridgeable. Finding this sweet spot for learning is a significant challenge, but also one that highly effective teachers find both fun and rewarding. The teachers that embrace challenge often view their students as puzzles rather than problems. The key for teachers is to accept mistakes and failure, both their own and that of their students, as inevitable. Mistakes and errors don't lead to failure until we refuse to fix them. The teachers that go slow to go fast, devote time to the learning and correcting of students' misconceptions, because they view those misconceptions as a result of ineffective instruction.

Mindframe 7: Educators believe it is their role to develop positive relationships in classrooms and staff rooms.

The culture of a school and classroom matters. If allowed, negativity will permeate learning to such an extent that the effort and persistence of both teachers and students quickly erodes. Hattie's research shows a correlation between strong teacher-student relationships and high achievement. He uses the term teacher-student relationships very intentionally, noting that it is the teacher's responsibility to establish and foster relationships with their learners. Hattie takes this one step further in suggesting that teachers ought to find the good (and the genius) in their colleagues as well. Dufour and Fullan (2013) write that successful schools are vibrant cultures of learning. While they include the academic learning of students as part and parcel of this vibrant culture, they also emphasize the importance of teachers learning about each other.  We are all a product of our lived experiences. When teachers know of each others' stories, they will begin to positively embrace each others' unique perspectives as the result lived experiences.

Mindframe 8: Educators inform families about the language of learning

Effective school to home communication is crucial. Teachers rely on e-mail to connect with parents far too often. Phone calls home, both positive and negative, as well as meeting parents away from school and in an environment in which they're more comfortable, are far better ways to invite them into the learning process. All parents wish for their children to experience academic success, but not all feel welcomed in schools, or have schedules that permit them to partner as much as they might like. When frustrated, teachers must avoid the tendency to jump to conclusions regarding why a parent appears distant or disengaged, and instead employ the same persistence they wish to impart upon their learners when, or if, communication home proves challenging.

Hattie, J. (2012) Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. Routldege. New York, New York.

Hattie, J. & Yates, G. (2013) Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn. Routldege. New York, New York.