on display throughout the classrooms and hallways in art projects,
extended learning projects, physical activity, and music. Students talked
about how they used the Habits of Mind at home, and they even
described how their parents sometimes failed to use the habits!
Although these results were satisfying and important, staff members
understood that the true judgment would come from the school’s results
on state-mandated tests. Results from the first year yielded scores that were
above state and county averages in all areas. Performance on these tests
improved yearly. Ultimate recognition came from the state of Maryland
in the form of a performance award for significant academic progress.
Friendship Valley Elementary School has come a long way since
those first days when it was nothing more than a physical shell. Tour the
building now and you’ll see a vibrant home for the mind supported by
the Habits of Mind. In kindergarten, students manage their impulsivity
and use clear and precise language as they describe the flight of butterflies.
In 1st grade, students enjoy problem solving as they graph the letters of
their name. A 2nd grade math lesson begins with the teacher referring
students to the directions on the board; he also reminds the children to
turn on their Habits of Mind related to listening.
Third graders use all their senses as they watch their egg-crate para-
chutes float from the roof of the building. Fourth graders use creativity
and prior knowledge in the wax museum they’ve created. Fifth graders
use persistence and flexibility in their thinking during a unit on the Negro
Baseball League. No classroom or office is untouched by the Habits of
Mind: art, music, gym, media center, reading, speech and language, spe-
cial education, and guidance counselor.
In the late spring of each year, teachers and other staff members
gather to reflect on the current school year and plan for the next year.
They always ask themselves several key questions: What impact have we
made on student instruction and the development of a thinking school?
What will we continue to value and respect as educators and a school?
What has worked and allowed our school to be successful? In the years
since Friendship Valley initially embraced the Habits of Mind, staff mem-
bers have continued to remodel and recharge their home for the mind in
various ways under new leadership.
340 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind