School leaders, in an atmosphere of trust, challenge existing prac-
tices, assumptions, policies, and traditional ways of delivering curriculum.
Leaders search for problems whose answers are not known. They encour-
age experimentation, action research, and data production. This implies
that an atmosphere of choice, risk taking, and inquiry exists. Data are gen-
erated without fear that they will be used as a basis for evaluating success
or failure. Creativity will more likely grow in a low-risk atmosphere.
Leaders empower teachers to develop an internalized locus of con-
trol. They appreciate the possibilities of efforts toward continual growth
that marshal the motivations and unleash the talents of those who work
directly with children day after day.
Leaders help the teaching staff to design strategies for collecting data
(Lipton & Wellman, 2004) and to use the assessment data to guide,
inform, and reflect on practice. Staff members learn how to design feed-
back spirals, including finding multiple ways of gathering data, establish-
ing criteria for judgment, and working together to develop their common
understanding and the reliability of observations and reporting of results.
Pollinating and Sust aining
School leaders spread the word by helping other schools understand
the Habits of Mind. Ideally, all the primary, elementary, and middle
schools that feed into a particular secondary school should be focused on
the Habits of Mind. This consistency provides a seamless, continuous,
integrated, and articulated series of learning experiences for students. We
fully realize that the Habits of Mind are not “habituated” in one lesson,
one term, or one year. It takes numerous recurring encounters with the
habits for students to understand that they are basic to all learning, at all
levels, and in all subject areas.
Modeling
Leaders increasingly value and employ the Habits of Mind them-
selves. They draw forth the habits when confronted with decision-making
and problem-solving situations that require complex, careful thought.
They verbalize their own thinking in order to model metacognitive reflec-
tion with the staff. As continual learners they seek suggestions about how
to think through issues they face together. In short, they practice the Habits
Creating a Culture of Mindfulness 283