Growth Mindset
“So what do you think we’ll do today?” My son asks this question frequently. His grandfather sits at the round table with the checkerboard pattern. He methodically works the New York Times crossword puzzle, periodically throwing clues in H’s direction. “Winnie-the-Pooh catchphrase?” “Uhm…honey?” “Eight letters.” “Uhm…” “We’ll come back to it.” H circles the table peripatetically. “South American range?” “Oh!” H breaks from his orbit and walks to the framed world map hanging near the refrigerator. All geography clues send him to the map. “Ahn-dess,” he says, carefully adding Spanish pronunciation. “Anne-deez,” my father corrects him. “What! But it’s Spanish!” H cackles in feigned exasperation. He has been taking a Spanish enrichment class four mornings a week for nearly two years. He has learned