magic words and the tool kit. Students talk when they are passed a “talk-
ing stick” or a “community ball.” Nearly all classrooms participate in some
form of Philosophy for Children, making each classroom a community of
thinkers.
Cooperation and Paired Classes
At Waikiki School every class is paired with another class at a differ-
ent grade level. Twice per quarter, those classes get together to promote
the cultural value of learning through cooperation. For example, last year
a class of 3rd graders took their science and social studies reports to the
kindergarten classroom, paired up with kindergarteners, and read their
reports to them. The 3rd graders were encouraged to solicit questions and
engage in further discussion about the topic after the reading was over.
The pairing allows both grades to engage in language development as the
older students assist the younger ones.
Student Council
The Waikiki School Student Council promotes the school’s cultural
value of involvement through schoolwide activities. The council designs
two rubrics per year for self-assessment of intelligent behavior, and it
organizes recycling and clean-up days grounded in the intelligent behav-
ior of “cooperation and caring.” Several teachers are actively involved in
the student council meetings, posing questions to nurture dialogue that
assists the executive board in making meaning out of their pursuits. The
question “What does this have to do with mindfulness?” is often asked to
refocus the students on the school’s cultural values. Ultimately, though,
it is the student council that decides upon and executes the mindful
school activity.
Mindful Mediators
Every year a group of students is chosen to be trained as playground
conflict mediators. A trained faculty member teaches those students how
to use the Habits of Mind to help children in conflict talk out their prob-
lems. The mediators keep records of every conflict, which have reduced
in number since the program’s inception. The mindful school’s common
356 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind