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21 Affirmation Examples to Develop Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset Affirmation Examples for Your Classroom

Growth mindset and affirmations are both incredibly powerful for children. Kids with a growth mindset know they can grow and improve with practice and effort. They are resilient and willing to tackle challenges and learn from mistakes. Both affirmations and growth mindset increase children’s confidence and self-worth. And affirmations are one of the most effective strategies to teach growth mindset to kids! In this post, we’ll explain how affirmations can help students develop a growth mindset, with several affirmation examples to get you started.

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What Is an Affirmation?

Affirmations are encouraging, motivational positive statements. Children can receive affirmations from others, like teachers or parents. But the most powerful affirmations are positive statements that children say to themselves.

When children say affirmations to themselves, they’re practicing positive self-talk. Self-talk is your internal dialogue, or the voice inside your head. It can be uplifting or discouraging, helpful or hurtful. Self-talk is a huge part of our self-esteem, confidence, and ability to pursue and reach goals. Like any skill, positive self-talk becomes much easier and more natural with practice.

For kids, affirmations typically involve simple scripted phrases, like the affirmation examples included below. At first, it’s helpful for the adult to provide affirmations to children. With practice, children can begin to choose affirmations of their own. Children can say affirmations aloud in front of a mirror, write down positive phrases and post them in a bedroom or classroom, and/or think or visualize their affirmations.

Affirmations can enhance self-esteem, well-being, and happiness in general. They help children develop a more optimistic outlook about themselves and others. More specifically, we can use affirmations to help children develop a growth mindset.

How Affirmations Can Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset

Having a growth mindset means believing that we can improve with practice. Kids with a growth mindset focus on the process of learning, rather than solely focusing on outcomes and grades. They strive for progress. They don’t give up or become self-critical when they make mistakes. They’re willing to tackle challenges and know that tough tasks strengthen their brains.

Growth mindset affirmations give kids the opportunity to express and internalize growth mindset beliefs. By practicing growth mindset affirmations with your students, you’ll help them become more positive, confident, and willing to take risks and make mistakes in the classroom.

You’ll encourage your students to believe in themselves. Instead of fearing failure, they’ll become eager to learn and grow, even if it means facing a few bumps along the way.

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Growth Mindset Affirmation Examples

So, what does a growth mindset affirmation look like? These 21 growth mindset affirmation examples provide a great starting point!

  1. When I work on something challenging, my brain gets stronger.
  2. I can do hard things!
  3. The more I practice, the more I improve.
  4. When I don’t succeed, I try again.
  5. I try new things.
  6. Mistakes help me learn and grow.
  7. I’m strong enough to try new strategies and ask for help.
  8. My goal is progress, not perfection.
  9. I can learn anything!
  10. The best way to learn is to keep trying.
  11. I always do my best.
  12. Challenges help me grow.
  13. I was born to learn new things!
  14. My brain is like a muscle, so I exercise it every day.
  15. I am a problem solver.
  16. Nothing starts out easy; it gets easier with practice.
  17. I can be anything!
  18. My brain is powerful.
  19. I believe in myself.
  20. Learning is my superpower.
  21. I’m brave enough to go after my dreams!

These are just a few growth mindset affirmation examples to get you started. What other growth mindset affirmations will you use in your classroom?

How to Use Growth Mindset Affirmations in the Classroom

There are plenty of ways to use these growth mindset affirmation examples (and your own affirmations!) in your classroom. Here are a few creative ideas:

  • Remind your students that they have unlimited potential. The more they practice and the harder they work, the smarter they become.
  • Have an affirmation bulletin board featuring a new growth mindset affirmation weekly or monthly. Lead a class discussion, then ask students to write a journal entry about what the affirmation means and how they can use it in their own lives.
  • Create affirmation cards or Popsicle sticks for your students.
  • Ask students to listen to their self-talk for a few days, then discuss or journal about it. Talk about replacing negative self-talk with positive self-talk, then give affirmation examples for students to use.
  • Use growth mindset statements to encourage and motivate your students daily. When a student makes a “fixed mindset” statement, help them rephrase it. Train your students to do the same for one another.
  • Model what it looks like to have a growth mindset.
  • Ask students to brainstorm growth mindset affirmations in groups or as a class. Have students write down 2-3 favorites on Popsicle sticks or index cards to keep.
  • Play a game, like tossing a ball in a circle and having students who catch the ball recite a growth mindset affirmation before passing it on.

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Final Thoughts: Affirmation Examples for Growth Mindset

It’s common for students to believe that intelligence is fixed, and there’s nothing they can do about it. This belief leads students to shy away from academic challenges, fearing that failure will confirm a lack of intelligence. It also causes many students to give up at the first sign of struggle. With these growth mindset affirmations, you’ll help students transform their beliefs about intelligence, learning, and their own abilities.

Your students will come to understand that their potential is unlimited. They can do hard things; it just takes effort and practice!

I am Kirsten Tulsian, an elementary educator with 18 years of experience as a teacher and counselor. My passion lies in empowering students to discover their inherent brilliance through the use of engaging, rigorous, and meaningful activities. I look forward to connecting with you!

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