other people’s points of view or rationales. They state several ways of solv-
ing the same problem, and they evaluate the merits and consequences of
two or more alternate courses of action. When making decisions, they often
use words and phrases such as “however,” “on the other hand,” “if you look
at it another way,” or “John’s idea is... , but Mary’s idea is... .”
Students who have developed this Habit of Mind become systems
thinkers. They analyze and scrutinize parts, but they also shift their per-
spective to the big picture, noting broader relationships, patterns, and
interactions.
Students who are flexible thinkers generate many ideas. During a
brainstorming session, their participation is usually fluent and productive.
They are reluctant to see closure to group work. We hear them say, “Let’s
think of more ideas before we decide which one we want to use!”
Thinking About Thinking (Metacognition)
I thank the Lord for the brain He put in my head. Occasionally, I love
to just stand to one side and watch how it works.
—Richard BollesWe c a n d e t e r mi n e i f s t u d e n t s a r e b e c o mi n g m o r e aw a r e o f t h ei r ow n
thinking when we give them the opportunity to describe what goes on in
their heads as they think. Students who have succeeded with this habit
can list the steps for how they will solve a problem, and they can tell you
where they are in the sequence of those steps. They trace the pathways
and blind alleys they took on the road to a problem’s solution. They
describe what data are lacking, and they also describe their plans for pro-
ducing the missing data.
Students who have developed this habit are articulate about their rea-
soning processes. When asked to explain their answer to a problem, they
give the solution and then describe the reasoning process that brought
them to their conclusion. They also use proper cognitive terminology to
describe their mental processes:
•“I have a theorythat ....”
•“I’m conducting an experiment.”
•“The sequence of stepsin my strategywas first to... , and then
I... .”
Defining Indicators of Achievement 181