Cultivating a Growth Mindset for Biliteracy Success

There was a time early in my career when I wondered if my students would ever feel confident navigating both languages; or if I was doing enough to help them believe they could. Over the years, I’ve come to see that the journey toward biliteracy is as much about mindset as it is about method. I’ve seen students rise when they’re given the space to grow and when educators believe in their potential.

That belief is at the heart of a growth mindset. In classrooms where students are learning two languages while navigating identity and expectations, this mindset is essential. It fosters resilience, curiosity, and confidence; qualities that help students take risks, persevere, and thrive. When we model belief in their strengths and design instruction that supports and challenges them, students begin to believe in themselves too.

By choosing to inspire, refine, connect, and empower, we can cultivate our students’ strengths and guide them toward biliteracy. In this blog, I share four key approaches that have shaped my own practice; fostering positive learning attitudes, using feedback to sharpen instruction, affirming identity, and designing meaningful, real-world tasks. Together, these strategies help create resilient, curious, and inclusive learning environments where every student has the opportunity to thrive.

INSPIRE

When I was in the classroom, I learned that a student’s mindset could shift everything. By encouraging students to view mistakes as part of the process, and by celebrating effort over perfection, I saw them take greater risks with language. That experience shaped how I now lead. As an instructional leader, I focus on building systems and professional learning that inspire teachers to create the same conditions for their students; spaces where resilience, curiosity, and growth are central to the learning journey.

REFINE

As a teacher, I refined my practice through feedback, both the kind I gave and the kind I received. I discovered that clear goals, paired with curiosity-driven instruction, helped my students grow in confidence and skill. Now, as a leader, I support educators in refining their craft through collaborative coaching, intentional planning, and professional learning that’s grounded in student need. I believe that when we empower teachers with meaningful feedback structures, students benefit from more responsive, high-quality instruction.

CONNECT

Some of the most powerful moments I experienced in the classroom came from helping students connect with their own identities—and with each other. Bilingual classrooms are rich with cultural and linguistic diversity, and I’ve always seen that as a gift. Today, I lead with that same belief. I design programs and learning experiences that honor who students are and where they come from, while encouraging teachers to build bridges between home and school. As a leader, fostering this sense of connection is one of the most important ways I can support inclusive, affirming classrooms.

EMPOWER

I’ve always believed that students should see their learning as relevant and impactful. In my classroom, I designed opportunities for students to use their language skills in authentic ways through peer collaboration, school-wide presentations, or community engagement. As a leader, I now focus on empowering educators to do the same. I work to create professional learning that is rooted in real-world application and supports teachers in designing lessons that prepare students to use their voices, advocate for themselves, and engage with their communities.

The reflection tool below helps you explore the shifts between classroom practice and leadership. Use it to reflect, discuss, or plan next steps in your work or with your team. As both a teacher and a district leader, I’ve come to see that cultivating biliteracy is a collective effort. It requires us to inspire mindsets, refine instruction, connect through culture, and empower with purpose.

Click to Access Reflection Tool

Reference

Mindset Works. (n.d.). The science. https://www.mindsetworks.com/Science/Default