104 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind
English class? Are the Habits of Mind evident in news events? Occasion-
ally it’s useful to set up simulations that require using the Habits of Mind.
Such activities reinforce the concept that students always must be ready
to call on these dispositions.
The Habits of Mind are most evident when we ask students to man-
age their own learning. Consider all the different Habits of Mind involved
when we ask students to choose the group they will join, the topic they
will study, and the ways that they will manage themselves to meet a dead-
line. Every occasion of self-directed learning is a rich opportunity for stu-
dents to practice the Habits of Mind.
Using Praise and Rewards
It is important to consider the use of praise and rewards in the class-
room. In all conversations with students, keep in mind that praise and
rewards can be counterproductive if motivation already is evident when
a student is engaged in desired behaviors. Praise uses positive value judg-
ments conveyed through terms such as good, excellent, and great. Addi-
tional praise actually can reduce enthusiasm rather than reinforce it and
increase motivation. Unfortunately, many students lack motivation, and
some teachers use rewards to try to instill motivation. Rewards, however,
are not the entire answer.
Joyce and Showers (1988) state “Praise and rewards, which are often
associated with moderate class mean gains, were negatively correlated
with both high and low achievers” (p. 56). Using rewards and praise to
motivate student learning increases the students’ dependency on others
for learning. They don’t come to find the learning inherently satisfying,
and they don’t come to value the acquisition or exercise of skills (Deci,
1995; Kohn, 1994; Lepper & Green, 1978). Praise builds conformity, and
it makes students dependent on others for their worth. Praise also has been
found to be a detriment to creativity (Amabile, 1979; Bronson, 2007).
Carol Dweck (2007) states:
Praising students for their intelligence... hands them not moti-
vation and resilience but a fixed mind-set with all its vulnerabil-
ity. In contrast, effort or “process” praise (praise for engagement,