PALMER  H*O*M*E*S

Habits of Mind Education Systems

Fall 2004

Volume 1, Number 1

PALMER I.S.D.

Region 10 Education Service Center

Habits of Mind:

 A Developmental Series

Ø  So, you have a Habits of Mind book. 

Ø  Where’s the time to read it? 

Ø  What’s in it for me?

One strategy is to choose two or three habits to address during this school year.  As you think about your students, which two or three of the habits stand out as very important?

Check out the following guidelines in order to quickly access information that will support your work as a teacher.

Book One:  Discovering and Exploring Habits of Mind (HOM)

v      There is a great inspirational quotation on the third page.  Your work as a teacher goes on for generations and generations.

v      Find out more information about HOM web site www.habits-of-mind.net

v      Check out the book lists that connect children’s and youth’s books to specific habits of mind www.ascd.org (search for Habits of Mind link to the book lists).

v      Find a quick definition for each of the habits on pages xvii-xviii.

v      Explore the work ethic and habits of mind pages 62-63****

****The October, 2004, Educational Leadership’s article, Education and the Changing Job Market, reports that two kinds of human skills will be required in the future job market.  One is expert thinking and the other is complex communication skills. 

“Expert thinking is the ability to solve new problems that cannot be solved by applying the rules.  …Complex communication is the ability to not only elicit and transmit information but also convey a particular interpretation of information to others.  (2004, page 82).” 

This is in line with development of the 16 habits of mind.

Also in the same journal for November, 2004, Joshua Aronson reports that “Studies ...indicate the benefits of teaching students to conceptualize their intellectual abilities as expandable rather than fixed.” 

He further states that “When we teach students to reconsider the nature of intelligence, to think of their minds as muscles that get strengthened and expanded – smarter – with hard work, we find that their negative responses to…” preconceived notions of their intellect are diminished (page 17).

In short, we need to teach students about their brains and how the brain functions.

You Got to Believe

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don’t

If you’d like to win but think you can’t,

It is a cinch that you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost.

For out in the world you’ll find

Success begins with a fellow’s will –

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are.

We’ve got to think high to rise.

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man.

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can!

v     Opportunities for activating may be as simple as asking students to notice habits of mind in their favorite television show.  Check out “Frequent Infusion of the Habits” on page 5.

v     World Splash is an activity that builds vocabulary.  Sample word splashes for each of the 16 habits of mind are listed on pages 17-25.  For instance there are lots of ways to think about Remaining Open to Continuous Learning.  Other ways include self-help, inquisitive, kaizen, self-actualizing and insatiable.  Word Splashes make great bulletin boards.  The use of  visuals in instruction increases learning by 600%.

v     Questions impact thinking.  Chapter 3 is full of great guidelines for teachers who wish to “up the ante” in thinking.  “Some questioning don’ts” are listed.  A favorite part of the chapter focuses on question design.  Powerful questions have several characteristics.  These include:

                Use of an invitational voice

                Open ended

                Tentativeness

                Invitational stems, i.e.,

                              “As you think about the topic…”

                              “As you recall what you know about…”

                Use of positive presuppositions, i.e.,

                              “As you read the selection, what are some of the ideas you are           

                                considering…?”

                              “As you prepare for the test, what kinds of things will you pay

                                attention to?”

v     Chapter Six provides specific guidelines for teaching and involving students in each of the habits.  Which habit(s) have you selected for focus for your students?  Just read that part.

Persisting is a favorite Habit of Mind for many teaches.  Several teachers reported that there are steps that students may follow that support the habit of persistence.  These are:

  Identify the steps and/or tasks in order.

  Check off the steps and/or tasks as completion occurs.

  Identify the time needed for each step/task.

  Identify and clearly visualize the goal/outcome.

  Provide “motivators” for students.

  Develop a sense of completion.

  Celebrate successes.

Post a chart for the steps for persistence.  Provide specific steps or tasks for lessons.  Examples of specific steps for completing work might be:

  Write your name on the paper.

  Write the subject on the paper.

  Write the date on the paper.

  Read the problem.

  List what the problem is asking.

  List what you know about the answer.

  Estimate the answer.

  Work the problem on the paper.

  Compare the answer to your estimate.

  Write what you learned about the problem.

v     Chapter one provides excellent indicators of student habits of mind behaviors.  Imbedded in your “favorite” habit are specific behaviors that can give students a real “heads up” as to how they are to function.  For example, in Thinking Flexibly, page 4, lists things students may say or do.

We stand tallest while reaching for our dreams.

v     Integrating and sustaining the development of the habits of mind requires a school-community partnership.  Discussion and clarification of goals and purposes as well as planning, activation of the plans and assessments are enhanced with full involvement of the partnership.  Chapter One attends to the importance of building learning organizations.

v     Involvement of community resources can help sustain the effort.  Chic-Fil-A is a partner with Palmer ISD.  Children at the elementary campus who “persist,” may receive a coupon from Chic-Fil-A.  Posters, wall murals, announcements, etc., are all ways to focus attention on one or more habits of mind.  Murals that highlight various Habits of Mind decorate the walls and halls of Furr High School in Houston ISD.

v     Chapter Five identifies several stories about Habits of Mind adventures.  Palmer ISD and its community will write a unique story as students, teachers, administrators and community members study and implement these habits.  Guidelines for getting started are addressed in Chapter Seven.

You will never “find” time for anything.  If you want the time, you must make it. – Charles Buxton

Art Costa and Bena Kallick, authors of Habit of Mind series, invite web page contributions from Palmer ISD.  What might your contribution be?        

Teachers and students are making posters about Habits of Mind.

Persistance Mountain erupted in late August at the High School.

Some teachers are reading the Habits of Mind books.

Some teachers participated in a two-day Habits of Mind Institute with Marta Mountjoy as the facilitator.

Palmer Board of Education members and administrators actively participated in a Habits of Mind Seminar one evening.

Art Costa and Bena Kallick have invited Palmer ISD participation in the Habits of Mind website.

There is a possibility that a Habits of Mind workshop will be available for students.