understanding and empathy, and thinking flexibly. We never fully master
the Habits of Mind. Though we begin work with the habits as children,
we continue to develop and improve them throughout our lives.
The Importance of Time
In many schools, educational innovations are seldom sustained. The
focus continually shifts, making it difficult to determine what is most
important: “Last year we were focused on differentiation, the year before
we were concerned with authentic assessments, and before that we were
focused on writing across the curriculum.” Many educators make a state-
ment such as “We already did thinking.. .” without realizing that think-
ing is central to the authentic practices and performances they now
pursue so fervently. Each innovation is brought to the district as if it were
unique, and considerable energy goes toward getting teachers on board
with the new practices. Although each practice has merit, only a cluster
of practices, well conceived and purposefully pursued, can lead to im-
proved learning for students.
The power of the Habits of Mind is that the habits transcend any par-
ticular practice, and when used by both adults and students in the school,
they serve to ensure the necessary dispositions for thoughtful change.
Therefore, a school needs to keep a consistent focus on the Habits of
Mind. Experience and research tell us it takes about three to four years of
well-defined instruction with qualified teachers and carefully constructed
curriculum materials for the Habits of Mind to become infused in the
school culture. After three or four years, we start to observe significant
and enduring changes in students’ behavior.
If students are to internalize the Habits of Mind, they must encounter
them again and again throughout the elementary and secondary years,
in every subject and in every classroom as well as outside school. Educa-
tors must teach the Habits of Mind and thinking skills deliberately.
A Rich, Responsive Environment
Students must work in a rich, responsive environment if they are to
make the Habits of Mind their own. They need access to a variety of
resources that they can manipulate, experience, and observe. For example,
Creating “Thought-Full” Environments 101