Growth Mindsets – Learning Mountains
Creating Learning Mountains
At Talbot Primary School, we believe children need to be able to describe their learning in order to improve effectively. We asked every pupil to think about a difficult challenge they faced, to reflect on what it felt like and to think how this might be represented.
There were lots of different ideas. These included: falling into a pit, going on a scary roller-coaster, surfing over large waves, slipping on banana skins, climbing a mountain, ascending a giant staircase, being engulfed in a deflating bouncy castle and walking over craters on the moon. The ideas were discussed in classes and the elected School Councillors met to vote on which image to adopt across school.
The school Council voted for a Learning Mountain. This is why they thought it was a good model.
Relevant to all Pupils:
The School Council felt confident that every child in school understood what mountains were and what they looked like. While only a small number of pupils had actually climbed a mountain, they felt everyone had walked up big hills and would be able to use their imaginations.
Obstacles to Learning:
The School Council thought mountains were a good image because, like deep learning, both can present numerous obstacles. The mountain could have thick forests, loose scree, be shrouded in fog, home to grizzly bears, contain vertical sections, have ice caps and the like.
Strategies for Success:
Although challenging, there are also strategies that can help you climb a mountain. You could take a map, go with a group of friends, ask a mountaineer for advice, take ropes and clips, carry ice axes, wear warm clothes, eat chocolate bars, have a torch and the like.
New Challenges:
The School Council believe that when you overcome a challenge, you will soon feel ready to take on a new one. There are many mountains throughout the world and they are all different. This represents some of the different types of challenge you could face.