adapted to the list, and they made connections to specific instances in
the novel as well as to their own lives. Here are some questions Reilly
asked about the novel:
•What specific Habits of Mind are apparent in this character? Cite
scenes where you recognize the Habits of Mind.
•How could this character have behaved more intelligently?
•What possible alternative strategies could this character have used
to solve problems?
Reilly uses a reflection/response form to give students the choice of
character to think about. Although many chose to analyze Huck, Tom, or
Jim, others were drawn to negative characters: Pap, the King, and the Duke.
Just the task of “thinking about thinking” initiated conversations about
Twain’s intention in creating characters to educate and challenge Huck.
Specifically, although Huck was unanimously credited with possess-
ing persistence and creativity, students sharply criticized him for his lack
of flexibility in thinking about Jim, for not listening to others, and for not
reflecting. As John put it, “One of Huck’s major problems is his... trou-
ble seeing Jim and all blacks outside of the prejudices existing in society.
Huck needs to think outside this mind-set.”
Centering on an analysis of the King, Tina found his major faults were
in “being overly impulsive.... He started schemes without thinking.”
Another question pushed students to think about their own process
of arriving at conclusions about characters. Beverly wrote, “I tried to
put myself in his shoes, to think about how I would react.” Tina wrote,
“I thought about each habit and tried to apply it to the King.... [If] I
wasn’t sure, I tried to apply each trait to a real-life example to see how the
King would react.” By the end of the year, students went back through
their portfolio and saw how easily they talked about literature in terms of
the Habits of Mind.
Although Reilly teaches English, she asked students to include in
their portfolios writing examples from other classes. What followed were
discussions of audiences, the styles and expectations of other disciplines,
and the ways that a powerful voice can be heard in every piece of writing.
The examples gave insight into the possibilities of using the Habits of
Assessing Habits of Mind 209