•Give examples from their own experience.
•Identify, when asked to reflect on a task, which of the Habits of
Mind they drew upon.
•Identify which Habit of Mind they “forgot to use” during problem-
atic situations.
•Identify which of the Habits of Mind characterizes the main char-
acters in a story.
•Recognize examples of the Habits of Mind in movies, television
programs, newspaper articles, advertising, and books.
Although this instructional approach may serve as an introduction to
exploring meanings on the journey of continuous growth (see Chapter 4),
it can also be revisited from time to time. It has a place in the context of
a unit of work where the habits are being infused and developed alongside
traditional content knowledge. The intent is to help establish the Habits
of Mind as a valued learning outcome of the unit. The approach should
extend and add to students’ previous definitions and understandings. For
example, a teacher in an early primary class that focuses on the habit of
persistencemight be satisfied if the students build a definition that con-
sists of “don’t give up” and cite the example of The Little Engine That
Could. However, a teacher at the upper-secondary level would want stu-
dents to develop a deeper definition and more complex examples of per-
sistence, including such elements as the search for alternatives, keeping
the goal in mind, and using a range of strategies. For these reasons, lessons
of this type are appropriate in any unit of work in which developing the
Habits of Mind is a part. These units may seek to help students develop
•Increasingly sophisticated and insightful meanings for the habits.
•Better internal criteria for self-assessment.
•Sensitivity to situations where it is appropriate to use the habits and
transference to a range of new, novel, and complex situations.
•A range of strategies for use when employing the Habits of Mind.
•Recognition of the valuing of the habits by others.
Te a c h i n g ofthe Habits of Mind is an essential component of a cur-
riculum design that aims to develop one of the habits. Such teaching
helps establish the habit as part of the learning outcomes of the unit, and
82 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind