In this type of lesson, teachers can also begin to diagnose where the
students’ development of the Habits of Mind lies in relation to the jour-
ney of continuous growth described in Chapter 4 and to prescribe some
next goals for students.
Employing this lesson design means that class time, independent of
content lessons, is devoted to the explicit teaching of the Habits of Mind.
Students undertake a range of activities designed to help them gain a
deeper understanding of the habit and to acquire an array of examples
and analogies. Some strategies, such as the use of Y-charts to help stu-
dents identify what a habit looks like, sounds like, and feels like, are
equally applicable to all the habits. Other activities may lend themselves
to just one habit. (See Part II for additional suggestions.)
Students first build meaning around the habit. They build a working
definition of whatthe habit is and connect this to prior understandings.
This definition acts as a kind of cognitive anchor for the student, who
can then use the language to build on this understanding in a meaning-
ful way.
Once students have a working definition of the habit, they are able to
recognize it being applied by others and then by themselves. They begin
to recognize howothers go about applying the habit in different situa-
tions; and they begin to recognize some of the strategies, skills, and tools
used when applying the habit. Many teachers have found that using the
Habits of Mind as a character analysis tool can be powerful at this point.
Book and film characters, media personalities, heroes and heroines, and
people familiar to the student (including peers, teachers, and family mem-
bers) all can be used to discuss how people use the Habits of Mind. Judi
Roach, a 4th grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Sidney,
Nebraska, provides this example:
I immediately saw a direct connection between the Habits of
Mind and Iditarod mushers, specifically Jeff King, the four-time
Iditarod champion. Jeff King has visited the Sidney schools many
times because Cabela’s, Jeff’s main sponsor, is located in Sidney.
In 2006, my 4th graders wrote a book for Jeff and how he uses the
Habits of Mind. I had 17 kids, so it worked out great. Each student
wrote on one habit and how Jeff used it during the Iditarod race.Is Your Instruction Habit Forming? 77