Why Some Students Never Reach an A* (Even When They Know the Content AND how to fix it!) | S2 E37

Most teachers focus on content gaps when students miss out on top grades.

But what if the real barrier between an A and an A* is not knowledge… but mindset?

In this episode of Miss Estruch Teach & Tell, I break down the practical mindset strategies I use in my own classroom to help students move beyond fear, perfectionism, and fixed beliefs about intelligence.

We explore:

• Why some high potential students stay stuck at a B or A

• What fixed mindset actually sounds like in an A level classroom

• How to explicitly teach productive struggle

• The Learning Pit and Iceberg Illusion strategies

• Why challenge questions can transform resilience

• How MARCKS analysis reframes failure into actionable improvement

• The language shifts that change how students respond to difficulty

This is not about motivational posters or toxic positivity.