Mindset by Carol Dweck made me think about what traits from each mindset they fostered in me and I think I got a mix of both. The fixed traits that I go from my parents is that failure in school or sports is not tolerable. This made me afraid of failure because of the consequences that go with it. The growth mindset traits that I got from my parents is the fact that you should never give up. They have taught me this all my life and I now stick to it no matter what. Mindset by Carol Dweck, depicts that parents are a big factor in the mindset traits you have.

Mindset by Carol Dweck, depicts that different people take criticism in different ways and I think that I take criticism differently depending who is criticizing because I have more respect for some people than I do others. I take criticism from coaches, teachers, and experienced people in general better than I do others. I take it well from them because they know what they are talking about and their advice will probably help me in the future. If someone who is less experienced than me or who I don’t respect criticizes me I take it very poorly. I end up thinking what do you know”, or “You are horrible at this why should I listen to you.”  Even though I hate to admit it sometimes after a coach or a teacher says something to me I blame it on others. Criticism on me means that I am not perfect and I mainly take it to heart and learn from it. Sometimes if I get over criticized or if I am doing multiple things wrong I shut down and don’t listen to anything and rely on myself for everything. Mindset by Carol Dweck depicts, that people take criticism in different way and I take it according on who gives it.

Mindset, by Carol Dweck made me ask myself how hard I take losing and how I handle it. I hate losing more than anything else in the world. I take losing very personally even if I did everything in my power towards the activity. My joy in sports mainly comes from when I win or am successful. I do not think this means I have a fixed mindset though, because winning or being successful is a sign that work that I have put in is paying off. Losing means that I failed in the way that I did not prepare enough. Losing also means that there is a person(s) that are better than me and that is the worst feeling in the world. When I lose I do not think worse of myself I just get angry because I know that there is somebody else working harder than me. Mindset, by Carol Dweck made me ask myself how I take losing and I do not take it as well as I could because I want to be the best I can.

Mindset, by Carol Dweck, depicts that you are not a true failure until you start to blame others. I agree with this because blaming others basically means you have given up trying and have started making excuses instead of making improvements. Instead of coming up with reasons why you can’t or couldn’t find a way so you can. For example, Dweck brings up, the famous tennis player John McEnroe. Nothing was ever his fault, Dweck States “One time he lost a match because he had a fever. One time he had a back ache. One time he fell victim to expectations, another time to the tabloids. One time he lost to a friend because his friend was in love but he wasn’t. One time he ate too close to the match. One time he was too chunky, another time to thin. One time it was too cold, another time to hot. One time he was under-trained, another time over-trained (Dweck, 36).” This shows all of the excuses he would use to dodge the fact that he had lost. Later in the book, it goes on to say that after his career he regrets being that way. Mindset, by Carol Dweck correctly depicts that you are not a true failure until you start to blame.

     “What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents,” by Ron Clark presents that teachers are quitting because of issues with parents. He depicts that many parents are too protective of their children, which leads to many other problems. “What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents,” by Ron Clark presents that many teachers are upset with many parents because they are overprotective of their kids


     “What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents,” by Ron Clark correctly portrays that parents are becoming more of a problem with teachers because their children are having issues and the parents want to protect their children. Many parents swoop in to save their children when they get in trouble with teachers and take the teacher's advice personal and as critique. One teacher explains, “I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart”(Clark). This is just one example of what teachers have to say about helicopter parents. This shows that to many parents will not take teachers advice. However, a parent being involved in their kids' activities is not a bad thing. A parent's input to a teacher helps them teach the student to the best of their ability because it could give them some background information on what they need help with. One teacher confronts this idea by saying, “When you give us the history/background of problems and solutions with your child, we save a lot of time in choosing interventions” (Young). This shows that sharing information with a teacher can save time for both the student and the teacher, plus it gives teachers possible solutions to future problems in class. A common view is that telling a teacher what a student's strengths and weaknesses are will help the child benefit in school and one cannot deny that sometimes it will help. However, more often than not this advice is more than just advice, it is telling the teacher how to do their job. Teachers are more than capable of teaching their class, without a parent who knows nothing about teaching, trying to teach them. “What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents,” by Ron Clark correctly portrays that a teacher's job is harder than it should be because of Helicopter parents.

"Boredom and the Cost of Constants Connections" by George Will, depicts that not ever being bored can be a bad thing. He presents this by showing that kids nowadays aren’t ever bored because of the technological age which causes ADHD.  "Boredom and the Cost of Constants Connections" by George Will, suggests that kids with modern technology have worse social skills than kids in previous generations.


"Boredom and the Cost of Constants Connections" by George Will correctly portrays that kids these kids these days are never bored because modern technology fills almost every second of our lives. Will suggests that kids these days have worse social skills than before modern technology. He explains "Cox doubts it is a mere coincidence that 'the stratospheric increase in diagnosed learning and attention deficits' has correlated with 'the advent of the electronic playground.' When so many Americans meet the diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, it 'is arguably no longer a disorder at all—it’s just the way we are"(Will). This shows that attention deficits are almost becoming a normal thing because kids are not used to being bored. However, it can be very dangerous, like when kids are bored for a long period. One example is, "Almost from the very beginning; it became clear that either of these states could push people to harm themselves; a proneness to boredom was linked to a tendency to smoke, drink too much, and take drugs. Indeed, in one study boredom was the single biggest predictor of alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis use among a group of South African teenagers" (Robson). This shows that boredom could lead to self-destruction and is a lot more harmful than helpful. A common viewpoint is that being bored can lead to irrational decisions and one cannot deny that in very severe cases of boredom that this sometimes may occur. However, those are very rare scenario’s and Will is not suggesting that kids be bored hours at a time. He is suggesting that now and then kids take a break from their electronic devices and use their imagination for a little bit. Boredom and the "Cost of Constants Connections" by George Will correctly portrays that kids that are never bored have decreased social skills and have a higher risk of having ADHD.

Summary Response Outline

”Why Aren't There More Dolls for Boys?” by Sam Price-Waldman depicts that there should be more dolls for boys. Kristen Jarvis, the owner of a company trying to start up boy dolls, presents this by stating that if more dolls were made for boys, it would eliminate sexist stereotypes. ”Why Aren't There More Dolls for Boys?” by Sam Price-Waldman displays that if a boy wanted to go out and buy a doll that they could and not be embarrassed by it.

”Why Aren't There More Dolls for Boys?” by Sam Price-Waldman Incorrectly portrays that there should be more dolls for boys because if many kids wanted them they would be made.

In the video Kristen Jarvis never mentions how many boys want dolls and it is wired in boys genetically to pick more “masculine” toys.This has been shown in multiple studies for example, “First, in 2009, Gerianne Alexander, professor of psychology at Texas A&M University, and her colleagues found that 3- and 4-month-old boys' testosterone levels correlated with how much more time they spent looking at male-typical toys such as trucks and balls compared with female-typical toys such as dolls, as measured by an eye tracker. Their level of exposure to the hormone androgen during gestation (which can be estimated by their digit ratio, or the relative lengths of their index and ring fingers) also correlated with their visual interest in male-typical toys” (Wolchover). This shows that the reason why young boys don’t play with dolls is that of Hormones. These hormones are why boys tend to pick trucks over dolls. However many think society's expectations turn boys away from picking dolls and instead the action figure or the racecar. Kristen Jarvis explains, “I think as we get rid of stereotypes in our children's play that will have a change in the way that we behave as adults” (Price Waldman). This shows that if we create more diverse toys for children, it will help get rid of racial stereotypes in our society. A common view is that if we create more diverse toys for our children and have them play with the toys and at first glance, it seems that the reason boys don’t play with dolls is that of stereotypes. However, research shows that young boys pick the more “masculine” toy before they can even understand racial stereotypes. This is also shown in a study with apes in their adolescence. The study shows that when handed a doll and truck the apes choose the truck (Wolchover).”Why Aren't There More Dolls for Boys?” by Sam Price-Waldman incorrectly portrays that boys don’t play with dolls due to sexist stereotypes because many studies show that hormones in the child control what toy they choose.