September 08, 2025

# 337 Foster a Growth Mindset in Teens

43 minutes

Are your teens labeling themselves—“I’m just bad at math,” “I’ll never get this”? What if one small language shift could help them persist, problem-solve, and bounce back?

In this conversation, we unpack Growth Mindset through the lens of real classrooms and real homes. We explore why praising “smart” backfires, how to swap outcome praise for process praise (effort, strategies, persistence), and how to make “not yet” part of your family vocabulary. We dig into the Pygmalion effect (kids rise to expectations), the line between Growth Mindset and toxic positivity, and why frustration is often the signal that learning is happening. You’ll leave with concrete scripts, dinner-table routines that normalize mistakes, and simple ways to turn goals into daily practice steps your teen can control.

Guest bio:

Annie Brock is a former high-school English teacher and library director turned learning-experience designer. A long-time advocate of Growth Mindset, she co-authored The Growth Mindset Coach (over 200k copies sold) and continues to write and speak on practical ways educators and parents can cultivate perseverance and love of learning. Annie lives in Kansas with her husband, Jared, and their two kids.

Three takeaways:

Praise the process, not the person: Swap “You’re so smart” for “I can see the strategies you used and how hard you worked.”

Make “not yet” a house word: Reframe “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this yet,” then choose one next step.

Normalize mistakes: Share your own flubs and fixes; make home the safest place to struggle, analyze what didn’t work, and try differently.

Find out more at: anniemaebrock.com

Follow Annie on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-brock-690889132/

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