Habits of Mind An Introduction

Agenda Overview: What do we mean by Habits of Mind? Why make it part of teaching? Discovering the 16 Habits Reflection & Questions HoM in the Classroom: Principles HoM in the Classroom: Activities

Definition “Intellectual dispositions “Intellectual dispositions that are skillfully and mindfully employed by characteristically successful people “Intellectual dispositions that are skillfully and mindfully employed by characteristically successful people when confronted with problems, “Intellectual dispositions that are skillfully and mindfully employed by characteristically successful people when confronted with problems, the solutions to which are not immediately apparent.”

Definition Deconstructed Ways of thinking Approaches to problem-solving Patterns of intelligent behaviors

When confronted by a challenging task, how do you handle it? Procrastinate? Or make a plan and get started? Give up? Or stick to it even if it’s hard and scary? Try to go it alone? Or ask for help if you need it? Run with the first idea that comes to you? Or brainstorm a list of possible options and then select the one you think is best?

With poor Habits of Mind, things turn out differently. The bus that you take to work has been arriving late for the last few days. Today your boss noticed that you got to work 15 minutes late. Choose the BEST and the WORST ways to solve this problem.

Why integrate HoM? Interdisciplinary & Applicable to: Academics Work Parenting Community engagement & leadership Do-able! Unlike children, adults are developmentally mature enough to employ all the Habits if they apply themselves Training students to adopt these behavior patterns will better equip them to be successful in and out of the classroom. It’s also do-able. While developing HOM takes time – they develop over our lifetimes – it doesn’t take a huge amount of class time to incorporate the ideas and coach students on their development.

Discover the 16 Habits Work with a partner Match the 8 Habits with their Mottos & Descriptors Share your solution with your table Learn about the other 8 Habits from your table partners Check your work

Reflection Which of the 16 Habits of Mind did you draw on to successfully complete this task? Which of the 16 Habits do you see your students already applying well? Which do they need to develop?

A Growth Model Skill levels, applied differently across contexts: Novice/Beginner Apprentice Skilled Expert Develop over the lifespan. We all have room to grow!

Questions? Which of the 16 Habits would you like to know more about?

Habits of Mind in the Classroom Making the Habits Real

How do we teach the Habits? Introduce Identify Model Operationalize Promote self-reflection Integrate

Introduce the Concepts Discuss the habits with students One or two at a time Allow learners to describe & identify the habit in their own language/examples

Identify the Habits Name them! Use the terms Posters, word wall, etc. Use the terms In feedback, in discussion, etc. Point out when a habit is displayed and offer praise/encouragement.

Model the Habits “Teachers design and pose powerful questions so students experience, analyze, and compose powerful questions themselves.” “Teachers laugh at themselves and guarantee that no lesson is successful without finding humor.” (Costa & Kallick, pg. 93)

But remember… Students will not learn from what they do not notice. So… Call explicit attention to your use of the habits.

“Operationalize” Make the abstract real and tangible What does the habit look like, sound like, feel like when it is employed? Activity: Y-chart

Y-Chart Instructions Only positives: “Yes, we see that, hear that, feel that.” Listening with empathy: “Not interrupting” is a negative. What actions do we see/hear?

Promote Self-Reflection Checklists for specific behaviors – completed by learners about their own use of the habits

Integration: Writing Prompts Tell about a time when you had to persist through something challenging. What happened? What did it feel like? Tell about a time when you came up with a creative new idea. What was the idea? How did you come up with it? How did you feel? Claude Levi-Strauss (maker of blue jeans!) once said, “The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.” What do you think this means? Why are questions important?

Habits of Mind are Hiding in Your Classroom Try the “Mark the Margins” exercise. What Habits of Mind will students draw on to complete this exercise? How could you make sure students notice their use of those habits?

Once you start seeing Habits of Mind, you can’t stop!

Activities Number of the Day (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n22CNUWFw5M) Trading Card Creator www.readwritethink.org – search “trading card”

Reflection Think about your classroom and the activities you like. What Habits of Mind do these activities foster?

For More Information http://www.instituteforhabitsofmind.com/ http://www.habitsofmind.org/ http://www.habitsofmind.co.uk/teaching-habits.html

What Questions do you Still Have?

Thank You!