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Are you up for a short experiment? Yes? Grab a pen and a piece of paper, then set a timer for three minutes. Now start writing your full name over and over again with your non-dominant hand – until your timer goes off (so if you're right-handed, use your left hand; if you're left-handed, use your right).
How did it go? Obviously, writing was slower and clumsier this way. But can you recall what was going through your mind? What thoughts were spinning in your head?
"Wow, this is harder than I thought. – This looks terrible! – Oh my gosh, I'm so bad at this. – I can't write with my other hand. – This pen isn't good for this; I should just give up. – This is a stupid exercise anyway; there's no point."
This exercise highlights how even a simple task can awaken our inner critic—the voice that limits us, doubts our abilities, and tries to protect us from failure. This voice makes it harder for us to step out of our comfort zone. However, real learning begins outside the comfort zone.
If we believe this inner voice telling us that we can't do something and that we're not capable, we get stuck in a fixed mindset and cannot grow. Imagine if our children learned how to handle this inner voice: if they didn’t say no to a challenge but tried anyway, if they endured frustration when something didn’t work, and if they persisted in facing difficulties!
People with a Growth Mindset:
No longer just an idea: Growth Mindset as part of the school curriculum at BPS.
By December, we were ready to pilot our custom-developed growth-focused curriculum. In the second trimester, several schools started implementing it: Zugló, Kassák, Budaörs, Érd, Római, and P10 all launched modules on this topic. During the introduction phase, we closely followed the work of P10, the Budapest School's upper elementary student community in the 13th district.
Agyológia
In January, every student at P10 participated in a Growth Mindset module—or as they called it, "Agyológia." This five-week course, consisting of ten sessions, introduced students to concepts related to learning and performance, such as neuroplasticity, mindset, the difference between the comfort zone and the learning zone, and the nature vs. nurture debate (how much our abilities are determined by innate talent versus later learning and upbringing).
Through interactive tasks, discussions, and games, students explored the fundamentals of Growth Mindset. For example: – They discovered through self-awareness games how their thoughts influence their performance. – They experienced the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset through role-playing exercises. – They realized, through challenging tasks, that growth always requires effort. – They debated whether success is more dependent on innate talent or effort.
These sessions expanded students’ vocabulary about their own learning and allowed them to experience firsthand the transition between fixed and growth mindsets. For example, they were challenged to write with their non-dominant hand or to give and receive feedback on a failed knowledge test.
Szabó-Somody Vera a Budapest School P10 tanulója, ezen a videón keresztül mutatja mindazt amit a growth mindset szemléletről tanult.
Teachers also gave positive feedback on the experiment. Fejes-Martinez Krisztina (Hősök Tere program, Growth Mindset program leader) summarized her experience:
"Compared to public schools, I was able to build on many things that are not common elsewhere. For example, the fact that students openly share their thoughts and talk about their feelings. We worked with seventh graders, and it was amazing to see how curious they were about mindset and neuroplasticity."
A Focus on Growth: Learning Becomes Easier
The BPS Growth Mindset curriculum connects with initiatives like Brainology for upper elementary students and the Big Life Journal, which supports individual exploration. What we have created is a 12-year-long, structured learning process adapted to the school environment, with a strong focus on learning how to learn and developing a growth-focused mindset. These 12 school years truly matter. Today, when lifelong learning is a widely accepted idea, it is crucial that by the end of this phase, students are equipped to become the most skilled experts in their own learning.