The Power of Not Yet by @TeacherToolkit

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Celebrations, Early childhood education, Education, Self esteem, Traditional schooling, Writing

Some of my most popular posts of 2014 were those that discussed praise, growth mindset, assessment and failure.
My final post for the year included thoughts about failure and the need to reflect and refine to move forward.
It is fitting to begin 2015 with a post that revisits and extends those themes. I’m sharing a post about The Power of Not Yet I read on @TeacherToolkit’s blog. The post includes a video of Carol Dweck explaining that

“if (students) didn’t pass a course, they got the grade “Not Yet.” And I thought that was fantastic, because if you get a failing grade, you think, I’m nothing, I’m nowhere. But if you get the grade “Not Yet” you understand that you’re on a learning curve. It gives you a path into the future.”

I would much rather consider that I have not yet achieved my writing goals, than think I failed to achieve them in 2014. Not yet means I am making progress, and will continue to do so in 2015 and beyond.
In the video Dweck shares research showing a difference that having a growth ‘not yet’ mindset can make to student effort and achievement.
For me, her most powerful statement is that at the end of the talk:

“Once we know that abilities are capable of such growth it becomes a basic human right for children, all children, to live in places that create that growth, to live in places filled with yet.”

It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike. There is no failure, just stages of growth in ability.

I hope you enjoy the article, and especially, Carol Dweck’s video.

Thank you for reading. I value your feedback. Please share your thoughts about any aspect of this post.

Carol Dweck Children critical thinking early childhood education growth mindset learning not yet schooling Writing

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26 responses to “The Power of Not Yet by @TeacherToolkit”

January 21, 2019

Don’t give up – Yet! | Norah Colvin

[…] of the importance of having a ‘yet’ attitude or a growth mindset abound, including on this blog. I am very much in favour of the ‘yet’ thinking, as proposed by Carol […]

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January 16, 2015

darlenebeckjacobson

“Not yet” reminds me that if we approach things from a positive place we are much more likely to see success. Thanks for a much needed message we can all benefit from.

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1. January 19, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  Thanks so much for popping over and joining in the discussion, Darlene. I appreciate your encouragement and support. 🙂
  
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January 6, 2015

clodge2013

Hi Norah, good on you and Carol Dweck for promoting the ‘not yet’ approach. I think it’s great for adults as well as kids, and I’m trying to approach my writing course in the same frame of mind.
Caroline

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1. January 6, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  Thanks Caroline. I think I must defer to @TeacherToolkit for sharing this one first! But it is a great approach! 🙂
  
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January 6, 2015

Greg Mischio

This is so right on, Norah! I’m going to share it with my wife – a 4th grade teacher.

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1. January 6, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  Thanks Greg! 🙂
  
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January 5, 2015

Annecdotist

Great post as ever, Norah, and still inspiring for those of us well out of school. I’m facing quite a list of not yets right now – hopefully I’ll get there in the end!

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1. January 6, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  A lot of the fun is the journey. Maybe satisfaction is arriving?
  
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January 5, 2015

Sarah

Children often have such black-and-white thinking, that “fail” is, to them, a final determination. I love the idea of a grade of “not yet” because that allows them to see there is something beyond a failing grade.

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1. January 5, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  So true! Thank you for joining in Sarah. 🙂
  
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January 3, 2015

Hope (@NannyShecando)

Oooh I really like this one! I’ve often been a persistent person, never taking the word “no” as a final answer. Some often thought I had a sheer inability to follow rules. But I like to think of it as just “not yet”. The opportunity is always there for a different result!

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1. January 3, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  Thanks for your comment, Hope. Yes, a different result. I like that one! 🙂
  
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January 3, 2015

Matt Renwick

Great reminders here, Norah, about the power of language. Your post makes me want to go back and reread Mindset by C Dweck and Opening Minds by P Johnston. This idea, of the words we use to shape students’ learning, is so fundamental and essential to our professions as educators.

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1. January 3, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  Thank you for joining in the conversation Matt; and for the suggestion of books to read. I find I am learning a lot from you, which is wonderful. Words are definitely a very empowering commodity; throughout life!
  
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January 3, 2015

TanGental

I can see huge benefit in a not yet mindset but there are times when getting it right at that particular point is crucial and that’s a lesson to be learnt too. We cannot completely eradicate the notion of failure and transplant it with a learning curve but equally using set backs as tool to move forward are important. The lesson is surely that we need to find the myriad ways to encourage and use whatever it takes to inspire children and indeed adults to keep learning and trying.

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1. January 3, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  And you’re right of course. I don’t want my surgeon to be still on the ‘not yet’ learning curve, but I don’t think that is the intention of the thinking. We do need that myriad of ways to encourage and inspire, and I appreciate your contribution to my continued learning. 🙂
  
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  1. January 3, 2015
    
    TanGental
    
    I know; I was just being perverse and contrarian; the legal training I suppose that I’m trying to suppress! I’m joining SAA (Smart Arse Anonymous) next week.
    
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    1. January 3, 2015
      
      Norah
      
      You’re perverse and contrarian, and I’m subversive. Sounds like a good combination! Can you belong to SAA if you tell me?
      
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      1. January 3, 2015
        
        TanGental
        
        good point; I’ve probably sacked myself…
        
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January 2, 2015

Sarah Brentyn

I love this positive way of viewing failure. I tend to be a bit hard on myself so this is a wonderful opportunity for me to say, “Self. Yah, just not yet. That’s all.”

I’ll take it. Thanks. 🙂

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1. January 3, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  You are welcome! 🙂
  
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January 2, 2015

writersideup

I love this thought “It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike. There is no failure, just stages of growth in ability.” It’s so much better than the word “failure,” which, although accurate if you haven’t (yet) achieved something, but has such a negative connotation. For me, I don’t set goals about “this month” or “this year” or “next year.” They are ongoing. I’ve discovered life doesn’t typically allow for the larger goals within a strict time frame so I don’t do it. Deadlines? That’s different and typically involves pressure! lol

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1. January 2, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  I think I’m with you in setting time frames. Sometimes a good ‘deadline’ helps reel those time frames in though. Thanks for your comment, and I look forward to seeing what you produce in 2015, and beyond! 🙂
  
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January 2, 2015

Bec

A great concept and article you have shared here Nor. You have me convinced that ‘not yet’ is a great way to not be discouraging while grading progress. Reminds me of how you never would use a ‘red pen’ because of the connotations it carries (you did that, didn’t you?).

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1. January 3, 2015
  
  Norah
  
  Hi Bec, Thanks for your comment. You are correct about the red pen. I didn’t mark a child’s work with a red pen, nor did I place an x beside an answer. If it was a test with no opportunity for another attempt, I would mark and count only the correct responses. If there was an opportunity to try again or to receive support I may have indicated that with a small dot. In their writing, I would get them to circle the parts with which they wanted help and we would work on those first, and I mostly used pencil for my suggestions. I couldn’t see the point in defacing a child’s work with red pen, or pointing out errors as anything other than to inform my teaching or provide students with another opportunity to work it out for themselves if they were able.
  
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