Yeah, I was that way with many things as a teen. I still get that way as an adult. I don’t like cooking because I’m intimidated by the effort, and I often tell people I don’t cook well. It’s a fixed mindset. However, I have a student from Poland. She took a family pieroski recipe from her grandmother, translated it into English, and gave it to me because it’s her favorite dish, and she thought I should try it.

Obviously, I had to do it while my wife took pictures. And you know what? They turned out pretty good! In fact, I’d like to do it again, and I think next time I can do them even better.

I think the biggest challenge to fostering a growth mindset is overcoming reluctancy to just try. As a teacher, it’s something I try to listen for from my students.