in Chicago where students had to pass eighty four units to graduate and if they didn't

pass they got the grade "not yet." I thought, isn't that wonderful? Because if you fail

you're nowhere but if you get the grade "not yet" you're on a learning curve. "Not yet"

gave them a path into the future. And "not yet" also helped me understand a critical

experience early in my career. To figure out how kids cope with challenge, I gave ten year

olds some problems that were a little too difficult for them. Some of them reacted in

a shockingly positive way. They said things like, "I love a challenge!" or "I was hoping

this would be informative!" They understood that their abilities could grow through their

hard work. They had what I would call a "growth mindset." But for other children it was tragic,

catastrophic from their more fixed mindset perspective their core intelligence had been

tested and devastated. Instead of the power of "yet" they were gripped by the "tyranny

of now." So what did they do next? In one study, after a failure on a test, they said

they'd cheat next time instead of study more. In another study they found someone who did

worse than they did so they could feel better. And in many studies we found they run from

difficulty. Let's look at how that looks in the brain. Moser and his colleagues measured

from the brain as kids encountered errors. Processing the error shows up in red. If you

look at the fixed mindset brain on the left nothing is happening. But if you look at the

growth mind-set on the right it's on fire with "yet!" They're processing the error deeply

learning from it and correcting it. So, how are we raising our kids? Are we raising them

for a growth now or for "yet?" Are they focused on the next "A" or test score instead of dreaming

big? Instead of thinking about what they want to be and how they want to contribute to society?

And if they are too focused on "A's" and test scores, are they going to carry this with

them into the future? Maybe. Because many employers are coming to me and saying, "we've

already created a generation of young workers who can't get through the day without a reward."

So, what can we do? How can we build that bridge to "yet?" First, we can praise wisely.

Our research shows that when we praise kids for the process they engage in for their hard

work, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance - they learn that challenge seeking.

They learn that resilience. Praising talent, praising intelligence makes them vulnerable.

There are other ways of rewarding "yet." We teamed up with game scientist at the University

of Washington to create a math game: Brain points. The typical math game rewards right

answers, right now. But not Brain Points. We rewarded process and the learning curve

so effort, strategy and progress. The Brain Points game created more sustained learning

and perseverance than the standard game. And just the words "yet" and "not yet" after a

student has a setback we're finding creates greater confidence and greater persistence.

We also can change students mind-sets directly. In one study, we taught students that every

time they pushed out of their comfort zone to learn something really really hard and

they stuck to it the neurons in their brain could form new, stronger connections and over

time they could become smarter. Those who learned this lesson showed a sharp increase

in their grades. Those who did not showed a decrease. We have done this with thousands

of students now across the country with similar results. Especially for struggling students.

So let's talk about equality. In our country there are groups of kids who chronically show

poor performance and many people think that's inevitable. But when educators create growth

mind-set environments steeped in "yet" equality can happen". Let me give you a few small examples.

One teacher took her Harlem kindergarten class, many of whom could not hold a pencil for the

first month, threw daily tantrums, she took them to the 95th percentile on the National

Achievement Test. That same teacher took a fourth grade class in the South Bronx - way

behind - she took them to the top of New York State on the state math test. That teacher

is a Stanford grad and she's here today. And another Stanford grad, Phd student, now a

professor, went back to her Native American reservation in the state of Washington. She

transformed the elementary school in terms of a growth mind-set. That school had always

been at the bottom of the district - at the bottom of the state! Within a year to a year

and a half, the kindergarteners and first graders were at the top of the district in

reading and reading-readiness. That district contained affluent sections of Seattle so

the reservation kids outdid the Microsoft kids. And they did it because learning a growth

mindset transformed the meaning of effort and difficulty. It used to mean they were

dumb and now it means they have a chance to get smarter. Difficulty just meant "not yet."

Last year I got a letter from a thirteen year old boy. He said, "Dear Professor Dweck, I

read your book already. I liked the fact that it was based on sound scientific research. That's

why I decided to test out your growth mindset principles in three areas of my life. As a

result, I'm earning higher grades, I have a better relationship with my parents, I have

a better relationship with the other kids at school. I realize I've wasted most of my

life." Let's not waste any more lives because the more we know that basic human abilities

can be grown, the more it becomes a basic human right for kids - all kids, all adults

- to live in environments that create that growth. To live in environments filled - overflowing

- with "yet." Thank you.