log or journals. Consider these sentence starters to help students use the
Habits of Mind as a way of documenting their learning:
•One thing that surprised me today was.. ..
•I felt particularly flexible when I.. ..
•I used my senses to.. ..
•As I think about how I went about solving the problem, I.. ..
•A question I want to pursue is.. ..
•When I checked my work, I found.. ..
•Because I listened carefully, I learned.. ..You can collect specific log entries from time to time, read through
them, and share written comments with students. This practice helps
build stronger relationships with the learners and provides a useful way to
informally assess how well they are doing and how their conscious use of
the Habits of Mind is developing.
Add annotated journal or log entries to portfolios. Invite students to
choose an entry from the beginning, middle, and end of the learning
period. These entries can be included in a final portfolio along with the
student’s reflections and synthesis connecting the entries or general com-
ments about learning over time (Lipton, 1997).
In Summary
Not all of the Habits of Mind are assessed using the same techniques.
After deciding which habits you wish to focus on in your school and class-
room, you can use the matrix in Figure 11.12 to plan for a balance of
assessment strategies for collecting data related to those habits.
This chapter has emphasized the importance of shifting the para-
digm of assessment. Instead of being external and critical, without suffi-
cient feedback for change, assessments should be descriptive, should
provide a good road map for the further development of skillful think-
ing, and should encourage the student to take responsibility for following
that roadmap. The power of the assessment-learning spiral can be dra-
matically enhanced by including opportunities for students to self-assess,
with teacher guidance, during the course of regular instruction. Infusing
the Habits of Mind into instruction dramatically enhances both content
Assessing Habits of Mind 217