checklist and looking for evidence of when students are showing these
actions. Students self-assess using the format shown in Figure 11.4.
The checklist in Figure 11.3 is one example from a school that has
focused assessment on only a few of the habits. Similar checklists can be
developed for any of the habits. Often schools have a schoolwide check-
list for all teachers to use with students, as well as a class-based checklist
for each particular class. The idea is to focus on one or two habits that the
entire school agrees students should be working on. Teachers and stu-
dents then identify one or two more habits that may be needed for the
students in a particular classroom. As students begin to collect data about
their behavior over time, they may create a graph to track their progress.
They will find it helpful to receive feedback from their peers and their
teacher in addition to their own assessment of how they are doing. Stu-
dents can keep a folder with the results from their checklists, each care-
fully dated. When reporting time comes, students can create a bar graph
of each behavior and see a profile of how frequently (“often,” “sometimes,”
“not yet”) they are using the behaviors and reflect upon the graphs in
order to set goals for the next quarter or semester.
As students become more familiar with the process of observing these
behaviors in their own work, they often shift to a checklist for the group
with whom they are working. At this point, they are asking, “How are we
doing?” The same checklist can apply for either individual or group eval-
uation. Once students feel comfortable assessing themselves, the teacher
might ask them to rate themselves and the others in their group. Students
can then compare ratings and see how accurately they perceive them-
selves. The teacher might also rate the students and give specific examples
of how they are demonstrating the positive behaviors of a particular habit.
Keeping an inventory such as a checklist during class interactions,
when solving problems, and after interacting with others can help individ-
uals and groups gather valuable data for self-reflection and planning for
learning as they begin to self-monitor more effectively. A class meeting
might start with a facilitator seeking criteria from the class as a reminder
of how to work succussfully as a group.
During group work or a class discussion, students can monitor their
own behavior and be aware of each other’s performance. Before the end
200 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind