Story of a Champion Athlete

Meet Javier Morales, a young soccer player with big dreams. When he first joined his school team, he believed that only naturally talented kids could score goals and win games. Javier often thought, “I’m not as good as the other players,” and he felt stuck when he missed a shot. This belief kept him hesitating on the field and avoiding challenges he thought were too hard.

A Tough Loss

In his first big tournament, Javier’s team lost in the first round. Javier walked off the field feeling embarrassed and convinced he would never get better. He told himself, “I don’t have what it takes,” and he skipped practice for a week. His coach noticed how discouraged he was and shared a new idea: “Your skills can grow if you work on them. Let’s set small goals for each practice.”

Turning Point

Javier decided to try a different mindset. Instead of saying “I can’t,” he added one small word: “yet.” He began each practice with two simple targets: make ten passes without losing the ball and score one shot on goal. Some days were frustrating—he missed more than he scored—but he wrote in his journal, “I learned why I miss the goal today.” With each practice, Javier’s confidence and skills improved.

Reaching New Heights

Three months later, Javier’s team returned to the tournament. He scored the winning goal in the semifinals and earned a spot on the All-Star team. When reporters asked how he improved, Javier said, “I changed how I think about mistakes. Every time I missed, I asked, ‘What can I try differently next time?’ Now I know practice and effort help me grow.”

Reflect and Respond

1. What fixed mindset beliefs did Javier have at the beginning of his journey?
   Your answer:
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What small goals did Javier set for himself during practice?
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3. How did adding the word “yet” change Javier’s thinking?
   Your answer:
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Think about a time you felt you weren’t good at something. Write one “I will ___” statement to create your own growth mindset pledge.
   Your pledge:
   
   
   
   
   
   

When you’re done, share your pledge with a partner and see how you can support each other in facing new challenges!

Growth Mindset Debate

Objective: Students will practice persuasive speaking and listening skills while exploring how failure can be a helpful step toward learning and growth.
Time: 10 minutes

Discussion Overview and Guidelines

1. Debate Topic: “Can failure be helpful?”
2. Teams: Split into two teams—Team Yes (arguing that failure can help us learn) and Team No (arguing that failure can hold us back).
3. Respectful Rules:
   • Speak one at a time and listen quietly when others share
   • Use kind, encouraging language—even when you disagree
   • Back up your points with specific examples or stories

Debate Structure

1. Introduction (1 minute): Teacher reads the topic and reviews debate rules.
2. Preparation (2 minutes): Each team meets to choose 2–3 main arguments and examples.
3. Opening Statements (2 minutes total):
   • Team Yes has 1 minute to share their first argument.
   • Team No has 1 minute to share their first argument.
4. Rebuttals & Supporting Points (3 minutes):
   • Each team takes turns responding or adding a new point (about 45 seconds each turn).
5. Closing Statements (2 minutes total):
   • Team Yes: 1 minute summary of why failure is helpful.
   • Team No: 1 minute summary of why failure can be unhelpful.

Suggested Prompts and Questions

• Team Yes:
  • How does failing at something help us learn what to try next?
  • Can you share a personal story where you improved after making a mistake?

• Team No:
  • When might repeated failure discourage someone from trying again?
  • Are there times when failure could lead to giving up instead of growing?

Possible Follow-Up Questions

• “What steps can someone take after a failure to turn it into a learning opportunity?”
• “How does feedback from others help us learn from mistakes?”
• “Can setting small goals reduce the fear of failing?”

Reflection (after debate)

• Ask each student to share one new idea they heard that changes how they think about failure.
• Prompt: “What’s one thing you’ll remember next time you face a challenge?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Assessment: Teacher observes student contributions, clarity of arguments, use of examples, and ability to connect failure to growth mindset principles.

Mindset Pledge

Directions: Use this quick exit ticket to commit to your growth mindset and reflect on how you’ll put it into action.

1. My Growth Mindset Pledge
“I will ________________________________________________”

2. Why this pledge matters to me
______________________________________________________________________

3. When and how I will practice this pledge
______________________________________________________________________

When you’re finished, hand this to your teacher as your exit ticket—keep your pledge somewhere you’ll see it every day!