These growth mindset journal prompts are resources and activities to help students in any grade.
A growth mindset is believing in your ability to grow and change what some assume to be fixed characteristics.
Except in extremely rare cases of strong genetics, our genes don’t define anything about us.
The truth is, you have incredible influence over your skills and abilities—likely far more than you believe.
Parents, teachers and students alike can benefit by journaling with these growth mindset writing prompts.
Let’s dive right into it.
- Can I Take Ownership Of My Mindset Right Now?
A growth mindset includes being honest with yourself and whether you have a fixed or growth mindset. Maybe it’s a bit of both. Use these resources to help you find out.
- What Does My Inner Voice Sound Like?
Your critical inner voice is formed by early life experiences witnessing what you perceived as hurtful attitudes toward you or those close to you.
Your inner voice talks to you when your conscious mind is not paying attention. However, your subconscious mind is always paying attention and it holds onto messages like, “you’re not enough”, “who do you think you are?”, or “you can’t do that”.
The posts you store in your growth mindset journal keep you aware of what your inner critic says.
- Are My Thoughts In The Present, Past or Future?
The best way to honour the past and plan for the future is by being present in the present moment. Jot down ways you can be more present.
- Do I Like My Inner Voice?
Check in with how your inner voice makes you feel. Does it give you inspiration for possibilities of overcoming challenges? Or do you feel shamed or not good enough?
In your growth mindset journal, add these feelingsl.
- What Lies Is My Inner Voice Telling Me?
In your growth mindset journal, post what your inner voice is telling you daily to have it in your journal as one of your resources. Ask yourself if each one is really true.
- Create A New Compelling Belief
Just as you created your original belief, by default, you can now choose a more true and compelling one. Post new beliefs as classroom activities.
- What Change Am I Resisting?
Change is a constant in life. It includes changes you like and changes you don’t like. The ones you don’t like are usually prompts to give you a growth mindset if you allow them.
Start by identifying these changes and write in your growth mindset journal how you can accept the present situation more easily.
- Am I Afraid Of Change, Challenges, Or Failing?
Fear could be holding you back from having a growth mindset.
By adopting the mindset of a child, look at the world around you with curiosity and wonderment. Ask yourself what kinds of fears you have.
- How Can I Turn Change Into Opportunity?
Think about the possibilities that change could bring if you didn’t have fear.
Journal how you can adapt to inevitable changes and the positive outcome that can come of them.
- How Can I Approach A New Challenge?
Use your growth mindset journal to break the action steps into pieces and try to move forward step by step to move away from a fixed mindset.
- What Does Failure Mean To You?
In school, failure might be devastating for students. If you had a low grade, it might mean you felt you weren’t good enough or you were being judged, “didn’t make the grade”.
Check in with yourself. As a student there may be difficult memories in the classroom with your teacher or other students.
Don’t store bad feelings. Remember, failure is just life pointing you in a different direction.
- What Painful Memories Can I Turn Around?
View painful memories from an objective point of view to help you see things you might not have noticed within the situation.
Use these growth mindset journal prompts to try changing your perspectives.
- What Are 5 Things I’m Excellent At?
Don’t be bashful. This is only for your eyes and it’s a fun activity.
- What Are 5 Things I’d Like To Improve On?
No one’s perfect, but these growth mindset writing prompts can help you list actions you can take to improve.
- How Did I Feel The Last Time I Was Kind To Someone?
Showing kindness to others can lift your mood, help you see possibilities, and feel positive about yourself. Set time in the classroom for prompts on ways to show kindness.
- What New Thing Can I Experience?
Google information on some activities you’d love to experience fully. Set a date and time when you will do it as one of your growth mindset writing prompts.
- What Is Something I Gave Up On?
There are times when endings make sense, although, if you’ve given up on something just because your inner critic was telling you it was no use to keep going, write it down.
One of your growth mindset journal prompts is to consider how you could’ve done it differently and whether you’d like to try again.
- What Brings Me The Most Joy?
Use these writing prompts in the classroom, no matter the grade, to think of ways you can bring more joy into your life every week or daily.
- How Can I Cultivate A Sense Of Purpose?
Studies have shown that students with a growth mindset have a greater sense of purpose. Keep the bigger picture in mind.
- What Action Step Can I Take To Reach My Goals?
An English teacher can help students break it down step by step. This can be a fun way to get them thinking about their goal.
- Do I Value The Process Over The End Result?
Find ideas for you to enjoy the learning process. If English reading skills take longer than you’d like, as an English teacher you can help your students google English phrases.
- Who Inspires Me The Most?
Find a way to thank those who make you feel empowered and uplifted.
- How Can I Be An Inspiration To Others?
Take a cue from those that inspire you. Write in your growth mindset journal ways you can spread that same positive feeling in and out of the classroom.
- Celebrate Your Wins!
No matter how small, write them down and do something to celebrate when you’ve accomplished any big or small personal win.
- Ring The Growth Mindset Bell!
Teachers start a growth mindset bell in school. Create activities in the classroom, in any grade.
Students can reflect on a different prompt each week, then students can post their own growth mindset journal prompts to others in the classroom.
- How Am I Living By My Core Values?
Create activities around core values in the classroom – the traits most meaningful to you. Then, get specific and pinpoint the ways you’re already living by them. These growth mindset journal prompts can be good for any grade.
- What Parts Of My Journey Have Given Me The Most Growth?
Usually, they’ve been difficult times. Write what you’ve learned.
- How Is My Physical Health Affecting My Mindset?
Google things like sleep, diet, nutrition, and exercise requirements to see if you’re reaching them.
- Do Other Peoples’ Opinions And Standards Affect My Actions?
Students, you may find it hard to separate your own opinions and core values from those of others. Determine what actions are right for you to take or what your personal goal is for your success.
- At What Point In My Day Am I Being My Most Authentic Self?
This writing prompt helps you connect with when you feel most connected to your true self – not on autopilot but fully alive.
- What Unhealthy Habitual Activities Hold Me Back?
You might add mindlessly scrolling through your phone, binding on some tv series, immediately jumping to conclusions, or expecting the worst case scenario.
- What Have I Done That Has Led To A Growth Mindset?
Reinforce your growth mindset by celebrating ways you’ve benefited your mindset. Using these writing prompts could be one of your ideas.
- What Different Learning Tactics Can I Use?
A teacher who shares with their students that there’s no one-size-fits-all for learning will be a great resource for more success in their students.
These writing prompts are a great tactic.
- Do I Seek Approval?
When the student prioritises approval over learning, they sacrifice their own potential for growth.
Their goal is to be perfect for the teacher. With a growth mindset the goal is to be perfect to their own satisfaction.
- Do I Reward Actions Or Traits?
In school, tell students in your grade when they’re doing something smart, not just being smart.
- Do I Cultivate Grit In The Classroom?
Encouraged with an extra bit of determination, students will be more likely to seek approval from themselves rather than others.
- Do I Take Myself Too Seriously?
We all mess up. Over-thinking things every time is stressful. Let it go. A growth mindset includes learning from mistakes. These journal prompts help you release that stress.
- Do I Emphasize Growth Over Speed?
Teachers know that to learn fast isn’t the same as to learn well, and learning well sometimes requires allowing time for mistakes.
- Am I Realistic About Time And Effort?
Teachers can help students with activities in the classroom to understand it takes time and effort to learn. Organize your time in these journal prompts.
- How Many Things Can I Feel Grateful For Today?
This writing prompt includes an effective way to change your mindset from fixed to a growth mindset.
- Do I Let Myself Be Vulnerable With Others?
You may believe vulnerability shows weakness, however, it takes a strong person with a growth mindset to honour and share their emotions and vulnerabilities.
It’s important to remember that a growth mindset takes time and practice to cultivate, develop and add new habits for growth.
These growth mindset writing prompts can be the difference between staying stuck and moving in flow to gain new perspectives, higher accomplishments and feel super good about yourself and your life.
Teachers and parents can use these growth mindset journal prompts as a resource to guide their children and students toward a growth mindset.
Begin by developing your own growth mindset first. Learn to praise properly, and let kids fail. Trial and error is an important learning process, and kids should be free to use it.
Start a conversation with yourself creating a sustainable growth mindset ✅ with these resources as journaling prompts.
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