- Make bumper stickers that celebrate the school’s dedication to
the Habits of Mind. - Have students develop their own buttons to hand out as a reward
when someone uses the Habits of Mind. - Create plays, poems, and dialogues in which the Habits of Mind
are pertinent. - In colonial times, children made samplers with important mot-
toes and aphorisms. Create a needlepoint or cross-stitch project centered
around the Habits of Mind. - Create a quilt using pieces of fabric with the Habits of Mind writ-
ten on them. - Create rap songs for the Habits of Mind.
- Invite students to create a blog around each of the Habits of Mind.
- Develop a list of suggested readings and resources related to the
Habits of Mind. Share this resource with parents. - Include a “Parents Corner” in the school newsletter where par-
ents can share parenting tips, book titles, and “homework helps” that fur-
ther the Habits of Mind. - Send a letter home to parents before the school year starts. Intro-
duce yourself, your classroom, your enthusiasm, your expectations, and
the Habits of Mind.
Expanding Capacities
- Publicly recognize the Habits of Mind in the work of unsung
heroes who keep the school running: custodians, repair staff, secretaries,
cafeteria workers, and volunteers. - Use the language of the Habits of Mind in conversations with
colleagues. - Admit your mistakes, and explain how you try to learn from them.
Expect—and encourage—students and colleagues to do the same. - Institute a student-to-student tutoring program centered around
the Habits of Mind. - Promote a schoolwide or intraclass service club. Part of the club’s
mission should be to infuse the Habits of Mind in the school, class, or
community.
Appendix A: Bringing Habits of Mind to Life 381