Title of Bulletin Board: Superhero Mindset

Category: Motivation

Suggested Grade Level: 3-5

Materials: Construction paper, border of choice, printed superhero images and word documents, lamination

Description:

I've discovered how much of an impact superhero messages have on my students, so I coupled that with the growth mindset movement. By changing the way they speak and think, it causes a shift in thinking from "I can't do this, ever" to I can't do this, yet!" helping them understand that they can always improve, and failure never has to be an end.

I have this in the main hallway, where every student walks past to get to the library and cafeteria.

The board has these components:

1) Print out the messages via Word or other document program. The negative in plain white, and the positive ones in color. I laminate and place them on top of one another.
2) The superheroes are just lego images from Google, laminated and placed with a construction paper background, offset at an angle.
3) The border can be anything on hand, mine just happened to be a character education message to tie in with superheroes.
4) The Mindset message on top is just cut out letters on construction paper, laminated.
5) I created the posters (Steps, strength, and "superhero mindset") using the Comic Life app, and they can be downloaded from the link below.

Here are the messages featured on this board. See additional info below for the actual printable parts of this board.

Top right: "Superhero Growth Mindset: Keep Trying, Even When It's Hard, Embrace Challenge, See Effort As The Journey To Success, Learn From Criticism, Are Inspired By The Success Of Others.

Top Middle: Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you can't do..yet.

Middle Steps Poster: Which Step Have You Reached? I won't do it, I can't do it, I want to do it, How do I do it?, I'll try to do it, I can do it, I will do it, Yes-I did it!

Word Signs:
I'll never be as smart as her - I'm going to figure out how she does it!
I made a mistake - Mistakes help me improve!
This is too hard! - This may take some time and effort!
I give up. - I'll use some of the strategies I've learned!
I'm not good at this. - What am I missing?
I can't do math. - I'm going to train my brain in math!
Plan A didn't work. - Good thing there are 25 more letters!
It's good enough. - Is this really my best work?
My abilities determine everything. - My effort and attitude determine everything.

Additional Information:

Some of the images, plus many additional ones, can be downloaded at this Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8rpXwUwOVHoSy1nS3JUcFNjeXM