The Judging Mindset Professor Ramos Blog

The Judging Mindset Who are we to judge? Nobody is perfect. People are judged all the time for the color of their skin, race, and beliefs why is this the case? So many times are minds become fixed for that split second and you realize what you did the second you start feeling guilty. Many times it’s a single perspective parents teach and spreads to their kids impacting many generations to have that fixed mindset (where people believe their basic qualities are everything and there’s no room for improve whatever skills you have at that point are all you have) (Dweck). Unlike in a growth mindset (where people believe they can improve their skills by putting forth the effort to improve.) (Dweck). In the movie Blindside telling a true story about a football player Michael Oher many scenes show case how fixed mindsets play a huge role in Michael’s struggles. Multiple people judge Michael as â€Å"a huge black man† when they know nothing about him just his skin color and appearance. Michael Oher goes through multiple challenges so he can try to better his life when the Tuohy family found him walking on the side of the rode one night so he could be warm because he’s been bouncing around foster homes and usually sleeps on peoples couches. Michael comes from a family of eleven, a father who was in and out of jail, and a mother that was addicted to drugs but this didn’t stop the Tuohys from helping Michael even though both sides have extremely different backgrounds and mindsets. The Tuohys have money and are able to get things that Michael has never had for example in the movie Blindside Michael was poor in poverty so he didn’t have essentials to live so when Leigh Anne Tuohy got him his own room in their house the scene shows them both in his new room with a fresh new bed, dresser, nightstands you name it. Leigh Anne starts talking about what she got for him in his new room explaining how difficult it was to get a bed frame for him and Michael says â€Å"I’ve never had one before† with Leigh Anne’s quick reply being â€Å"What? A room to yourself† then with Michael replying â€Å"No. A Bed.† Leigh Anne lost for words for a moment finds a smile and says â€Å"well you have one now† then rushing out of the room into hers to sit down and take in what she just heard. This scene shows the difference in lifestyles these two have Leigh having everything she has ever needed and Michael not having basic living essentials because Michael grew up so poor he wasn’t able to have something as simple as a bed. The pure emotions this scene attacks it makes you feel for Michael that up to that point he’s never had a bed making you want to see him succeed even more even though he had a terrible up bringing you want to see the best for him. Nobody has a fixed mindset about Michael anymore he’s accomplished so much after having so little and becoming an idol for kids that grew up the same way he did and help them realize the mindset that they aren’t stuck have a growth mindset and fight through all the bad in your life to earn a life that is better for yourself. In another scene when Michael starts attending school at Briarcrest Christian School he has to attend classes to catch up on his credits to graduate (he had a .06 GPA when he started at Briarcrest) as he struggled in his classes the scene shows the teacher talking about his performance in each of their classes when one of them pulls a piece of paper that Michael crumbled up and threw away on it titled â€Å"White Walls† where he wrote â€Å"I look and I see white everywhere. White walls, white floors and a lot of white people. The teachers do not know, I have no idea of anything they are talking about. I do not want to listen to anyone especially the teachers. They are giving homeworks and expecting me to do the problems on my own. I have never done homework in my life. I go to the bathroom and look in the mirror and say â€Å"this is not Michael Oher.† As the teachers react to their colleague’s reading of Michaels writing they all start to put their heads down in shame and pity. The thought they should’ve done more to help him and hearing he’s never done homework shows he needs their help and guidance more than other students. The teachers mindset towards Michael was different then they had on other students they knew he has struggled before that’s why he’s in these classes in the first place they should’ve been helping him more so he could be more comfortable I this new environment for him. Throughout the rest of the movie it shows Michael studying more with his teachers and it’s helping him. Michael then has his GPA increase to a 2.5 from his original 0.06 just enough to graduate. The scene shows the teachers now with smiles on their faces because grew to like Michael and now graduating they realized they had fixed mindsets toward Michael then learning to be happy for his successes which gave them a better understanding of who Michael and not just the black kid that nobody knows how to talk to also they grew as teachers teaching someone such as Michael from a drastically different lifestyle then the rest of the students attending Briarcrest so the teachers have to change what they’ve always done to try to help Michael. In this scene in shows how differently Michael was being portrayed nobody was helping him and setting him up for failure but after the teachers and coaches starting seeing him improve his skills they started to adore him for conquering all his challenges to get his high school diploma also a football scholarship to Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) watching Michael grow from the black kid that nobody wanted to be around to a being loved around the country as an elite athlete. This movie shows a much bigger issue Michael was given a chance to make a huge difference in his life and with hard work, dedication, and support from his new family the Tuohys who took him in as one of their own. Michael went through so many struggles through the film from the racism, gangs, violence, drugs and still overcame all of it to become a professional football player. So who are we to judge? https://www.npr.org/2011/02/08/133590180/beyond-the-blind-side-michael-oher-rewrites-his-own-story Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset (What Characteristics Are Critical to Success) historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/blindside.php