•Facilitating group discussions about student work, protocols, data-
driven dialogue, literacy circles, and other events and processes related to
the Habits of Mind.
•Creating electronic and face-to-face networks of people using or
interested in the Habits of Mind.
•Suggesting teaching strategies, ways to get started, ways to commu-
nicate with parents, ways to assess students, and ways to work with the
community on the Habits of Mind.
•Modeling the Habits of Mind.
Chapter 15, “Creating a Culture of Mindfulness,” presents the idea
that teachers will more likely teach for intellectual growth, interdepen-
dent thinking, problem solving, and creativity if they are in an intellectu-
ally challenging, collaborative, and creative environment themselves.
This chapter describes some of the conditions that signal to staff, students,
and community that thinking and the Habits of Mind are valued in the
school.
Chapter 16, “Habits of Mind for the Systems-Savvy Leader,” by Jen-
nifer Abrams, suggests that leadership is the key to success in school
change. Skillful leaders must know how to employ the Habits of Mind to
work within a system—politically and charismatically—to achieve change
and to build a program that may diverge from traditional practices.
Chapter 17, “Leading Is a Habit of Mind,” by Bill Sommers and
Diane Zimmerman, demonstrates how the Habits of Mind are incorpo-
rated into what leaders know, do, and feel. The Habits of Mind and lead-
ership might be congruent with each other. Modeling is essential!
—Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick270 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind