Annie Brock and Heather Hundley

The Power of “Yet”: Helping Students Turn Struggles Into Strengths

Hi Joshua and Charlie,

The key to unlocking student potential is one small word: yet.

Instead of saying “You can’t do this,” imagine hearing “You can’t do this yet.” That simple shift in language transforms how students see themselves: as learners in progress rather than failures at the finish line.

In their new book, The Growth Mindset Coach, Second Edition: The Best-Selling Teacher’s Handbook for Fostering Growth and Success [Ulysses Press; August 2025], education experts Annie Brock and Heather Hundley show how to bring the “power of yet” to life in today’s classrooms. This fully updated edition of their best-selling guide (more than 225,000 copies sold) helps teachers normalize failure, celebrate persistence, and create learning environments where effort is as valued as achievement.

The authors are available for interviews and can speak on topics including:
-Promoting the Power of “Yet” — How small shifts in teacher language can dramatically impact student resilience.
-Implementing a “Not Yet” Grading System — How this approach supports standards-based grading, reduces anxiety, and fosters mastery.
-Normalizing Failure — What educators can learn from the way kids approach video games, and how to make retrying assignments a growth opportunity.
-Formative vs. Summative Mindsets — How to align assessments with progress instead of perfection.
-“Yet” Feedback in Action — How one teacher’s classroom transformed when students began encouraging each other with “You’re not there…yet!”

“When students begin to use the language, you know it’s working,” co-author Heather Hundley says. “Hearing them remind each other that learning takes time and effort, that’s when you’ve built a true growth mindset culture.”

Additionally, Brock and Hundley can discuss how educators and parents alike can integrate “not yet” practices into classrooms and homes to help kids persevere through challenges, embrace mistakes, and celebrate growth.

Please let me know if you’re interested in an interview and/or a review copy of the book. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Kourtney

The Growth Mindset Coach, Second Edition: The Best-Selling Teacher's Handbook for Fostering Growth and Success
by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley
Ulysses Press
Trade paperback; August 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781646048236
$17.95; 6 x 9 inches; 224 pages

About the Authors
Annie Brock is a former high school English teacher and library director with a passion for lifelong learning. She holds degrees in journalism, secondary English education, and instructional technology. Annie currently works as a learning experience designer for a health tech company, where she develops patient education content that makes complex medical topics easier to understand. A longtime advocate for growth mindset, she has written and spoken widely on the subject. Annie lives in Kansas with her husband, Jared, and their two children. Find her online at anniemaebrock.com and on LinkedIn.

Heather Hundley is an experienced educator and school leader, currently serving as the Director of School Improvement for a public school district in Kansas. With over 20 years of combined teaching and leadership experience, she brings a deep understanding of curriculum, instruction, and continuous school improvement. Heather holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Washburn University and master’s degrees in education and school leadership from Baker University. She is the co-author of five books, including The Growth Mindset Coach and The Growth Mindset Playbook. Heather lives in Kansas with her husband and four children. Find her on LinkedIn.