How Growth Mindset and Resilience Drive Student Success: Insights from Kimberly Hackett

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Navigating high school, college, and beyond can be overwhelming for students, parents, and educators alike. Many young people face pressure to excel academically while developing essential life skills like resilience, curiosity, and character. In this post, we explore how educators like Kimberly Hackett, recipient of the 2025 Claes Nobel Educator of the Year, advocate for growth mindset, soft skills, and supportive environments that foster long-term success. Discover actionable strategies to empower students to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. 

Unlocking Student Potential: The Power of a Growth Mindset 

Kimberly Hackett emphasizes that cultivating a growth mindset is critical for students' success and well-being. A growth mindset, believing that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort, encourages perseverance during setbacks and motivates continuous learning. 

“Kids nowadays have to have a habit of having that growth mindset. They’ve got to believe that they can do certain things, have the skills to grow, and persist through difficult times.” - Kimberly Hackett 

To foster this mindset, educators and parents should encourage reflective thinking about mistakes, framing errors as opportunities to learn: 

Students also need opportunities to recover from failure and develop self-regulation skills, such as goal-setting and emotion management. These habits are especially vital in a world where instant gratification often clouds patience and persistence. 

Action tip: Create routines that promote growth, like reviewing errors on tests and redoing assignments, to reinforce the idea that effort leads to improvement. 
 

Building Resilience Through Self-Regulation and Curiosity 

Resilience is closely tied to self-regulation, the ability to control impulses, manage emotions, and stay focused on goals. Kimberly stresses that understanding and practicing self-control helps students handle academic pressures and social challenges. 

“Students need to learn how to manage frustration and success. Everything they do matters, and they should take ownership of their actions.” 

Part of resilience also involves nurturing curiosity, the desire to ask questions and explore new ideas. Curiosity supports innovation and career exploration, laying a foundation for lifelong adaptability. Students who develop soft skills, like active listening and empathy, will be better equipped to collaborate, navigate conflict, and adapt to new environments. These skills often aren’t explicitly taught at home but are learned through intentional practice and modeling.

Pro tip: Encourage students to ask questions freely, even if they face criticism, maintaining curiosity as a driver of growth. 

How Students and Parents Can Advocate and Communicate Effectively 

Kimberly advocates for early self-advocacy, emphasizing that students should communicate their needs before challenges escalate: 

“Respond to feedback constructively, admit what you don’t know, and ask informed questions.” 

She suggests the approach of I-statements like “I’m struggling with this concept,” which promotes respectful dialogue. This proactive advocacy helps students: 

For parents, understanding the evolving landscape of high school and college is vital. Kimberly highlights common misunderstandings: 

Advice for parents: Stay engaged and supportive, not just focused on grades. Ask about routines, challenges, and feelings. A communication style rooted in curiosity and patience creates space for honest conversations. 
 

Fostering Character and Integrity: The Role of Educators 

Kimberly believes that consistent messaging and genuine care are fundamental to nurturing achievement and integrity in students. She shares her approach: 

She also emphasizes the importance of repetition and ownership: having students redo tasks reinforces learning and fosters persistence. 

“Success isn’t always straight A’s. Sometimes, it’s improving from failing grades or taking steps to own your learning journey.” 

By fostering an environment where students own their progress, educators build the foundation for moral character and resilience that lasts beyond high school. 

Next Steps: Building Skills for Lifelong Success 

Both students and parents can benefit from adopting these strategies: