To i n c r e a s e t h e i r u n d e r s t a n di n g o f t h e v a r i o u s H a b i t s o f M i n d , t e a c h -
ers can invite students to describe times in their lives when they found that
one or more of the habits was of value to them. The following are some
excerpts from journals kept by students at Sir Francis Drake High School
in the Tamalpais Union High School District in San Anselmo, California:
Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Listening before prejudging someone’s contribution makes sense.
Being patient helps. I was surprised at the great ideas and how
much everyone added.
Metacognition
I sometimes have to talk to myself and tell myself to work harder,
or to stop slacking.They give us time to think about everything—all of our actions
and work and that is something that really helps. Not many kids
get that; it’s so neat.And a 4th grader at Crow Island School in the Winnetka Public Schools
in Illinois wrote this:
Persisting
I have used my perseverance. When I was doing long division. It
was very long and hard but I did it. I still want to improve for the
future when I’m in high school.Once students know what the Habits of Mind are and why they are
valued, teachers can be alert and seize opportunities to practice and apply
the Habits of Mind. Questions can be designed to call attention to one or
more of the habits, to develop awareness of them, and to reflect on their use.
Before beginning a learning activity, questions such as these may be
posed to cue and focus on the importance of and use of one or more of
the Habits of Mind:
•As you anticipate your projects, which of the Habits of Mind might
we need to use?
80 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind