Changing Mindsets

Why Focus on Mindsets?

How can Focusing on Mindsets Help lead to Improved Behavior and Engagement?

Making mindset change a focus is a major priority for the HeartBridge Collective. Our philosophy is that changing destructive mindsets and building healthier mindsets can lead to improved behavior, engagement, and academic achievement.

We base our philosophy on Cognitive Theory, first theorized by psychologist Jean Piaget in the early 20th century. Adapting his research, we have adopted the belief that to build healthy and constructive behaviors we must educate students and allow them to learn how to build new habits. This helps them to see how the habit will affect them, the pros and cons if you will, and make decisions to adapt these habits to their own unique personality.

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Our model works in contrast to traditional behaviorist models that seek to improve behavior through a system of punishments and rewards. This type of philosophy can lead to better behavior, but often diminishes personal agency and determination. If a student believes that the behavior is only being changed to fit into the school's status quo they might see that change as negative or contrary to how they live their life. They will, then, only change because they fear punishment. That runs contrary to how we believe children should learn.