The roundtables began when a faculty member suggested that staff
members discuss a relevant topic and a related article, such as Costa and
Garmston’s (1998) “Maturing Outcomes.” The article was distributed for
staff members to read before the roundtable. As they prepared for the
meeting, participants privately chose one Habit of Mind to focus on dur-
ing the discussion.
To s t a r t a r o u n d t a b l e m e e t i n g , t h e f a c i l i t a t o r p o s e d a n o p e n - e n d e d
question to spark the group’s discussion. Staff members were encouraged
to openly and honestly share insights, humor, support, or reservations
about the topic at hand. Teachers often remained in the media center
after the roundtable to continue their dialogue with colleagues rather than
linger in the parking lot. Participants left the roundtables with much more
than knowledge about a topic. They gained trust in their colleagues, and
they fostered collegiality with other staff members.
Cognitive Coaching
To t e a c h s t u d e n t s t h e H a b i t s o f M i n d , t e a c h e r s t h e m s e l v e s mu s t p r a c -
tice in an intellectually stimulating environment. Cognitive coaching fos-
tered this kind of environment, and this approach became a cornerstone
for enhancing teachers’ intellectual capacities.
As part of the coaching process, each teacher scheduled a planning
conference with an administrator. Then the teacher completed a plan-
ning conference sheet that included provocative questions to spark ideas.
The planning conference was held before a classroom observation. Class-
room observation provided the opportunity for collecting data about the
teaching behaviors and the student learning discussed in the planning
conference. A reflecting conference was held after the observation to
allow teachers the opportunity to share impressions of the lesson, data,
and future planning.
Te a c h e r s m o n i t o r e d t h e i r o w n b e h a v i o r s a n d p r o g r e s s t o w a r d t h e i r
goals. As they proceeded from the planning stage to implementing their
lessons to reflecting on their learning, they found that the processes of
cognitive coaching reinforced the Habits of Mind. For example, as one
teacher coached another, the teacher might focus on listening with under-
standing and empathy. Or, the teacher might guide the person being
336 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind