- Interview parents about how they use the Habits of Mind in their
profession, job, or career. Which of the Habits of Mind make them suc-
cessful in their work? - Set up a school-to-career program with an expectation that stu-
dents will learn about the use of Habits of Mind in the workplace. - Ask students to discuss the use of Habits of Mind as they are work-
ing with technology. - Study television programs for examples of the Habits of Mind.
Share this information with students, and ask them to do their own tele-
vision study looking for the habits. - Select and watch movies to determine which Habits of Mind
the main characters exemplify (e.g., Babe[listening with understanding
and empathy]; Chariots of Fire[persisting]; Saving Private Ryan[taking
responsible risks]; and Apollo 13[creating, imagining, innovating]). - Study great artists and consider how the Habits of Mind might
have influenced their work. - Take advantage of school holidays (e.g., Presidents’ Day, Martin
Luther King Jr. Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day) to explain why the
Habits of Mind were important in the lives of those we celebrate. - Develop a bulletin board where teachers, administrators, and stu-
dents can share awareness of, use of, and growth in the Habits of Mind. - Use the school newsletter to keep parents informed about stu-
dents’ use of the Habits of Mind. Include anecdotes about commendable
student performance. - Create bulletin boards that focus on student work, with an analy-
sis of how the Habits of Mind informed the work.
Extending Values
- Pose the following question in a class or meeting: Can a person
be “great” and “good” and still have character flaws? - Take a walk through your school with students, staff members,
parents, or school officials. Ask them to interpret the school’s values based
only on their observations of the school environment and student and
staff interactions. Where do they see strength in the Habits of Mind, and
where do they see possible areas for improvement?
384 Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind