Last fall, two core teachers at BFA Fairfax presented the Freshman Class of 2020 with an exciting leadership opportunity. M3 stands for Mindset, Metacognition, and Motivation. The program is designed to teach students about how they learn, how to expand their learning opportunities, and how they can change their thinking from fixed mindsets to growth mindsets.

BFA leaders participated in two full-day training sessions in Montpelier with peers who were interested in the program. During the training, the students experienced sessions they would facilitate with their classmates in the spring. One unique aspect of the M3 program is that students teach students. BFA agreed to take part in the program and build student facilitators. The student leaders learned the material and brought it back to teach their BFA  Fairfax classmates.

The goal of the M3 team is to broaden horizons of the Class of 2020 when it comes to how to approach learning opportunities. The M3 team includes 6 student leaders and 2 teacher facilitators. The group meets weekly to prepare to teach the established research-based curriculum to peers every Wednesday.  The team then pairs up with peers to teach a section during Support Block.

The sessions include various topics related to mindset, metacognition, and motivation. For example, students engage in an online gaming competition against peers to test their knowledge about growth versus fixed mindsets, positive study habits, and brain-related processes.

The learning experience for the M3 team over the past several months has been tremendously empowering — both for students and their peers as well. Student leaders will walk away from M3 with focused skills in leadership, teaching, and making connections with multiple modes of learning.