Costa and Kallick’s 16 Habits of Mind are summarised below in a few sentences. Also included are some suggestions for how to put them into practice in your classroom.
Generally speaking, outcome-based learning environments are comprised of three components. First, learning objectives or targets are developed following established standards. The second step is to provide instruction. Third, the outcomes of the learning process are evaluated. These evaluations provide information that can be used to improve instructional methods. Rinse and repeat as necessary.
The Habits of Mind are often overlooked
in the course of this clinical sequence When it comes to mastering specific standards, they (often predictably) result in either success or failure in the process. Successor failure is determined by personal habits rather than by external standards or evaluations, as many people believe.
Here are 16 habits of mind, as well as tips, strategies, and resources to help you understand them all and get started in your classroom. Click on the links for more information.
These patterns of behavior are not necessarily new. There has been a great deal of research done on the subject of “thinking habits.” In today’s learning environment, where information, stimulation, and connectivity are all commonplace, they may find a new context in which to be used in the future.
The need for their integration has resurfaced in recent years.
The Habits of Mind of Art Costa and Bena Callick are not just fragments of practice that you can “add on to” what you already do but new ways to think about learning.
1. Persisting
Examine well-known events and ask students to identify the characteristics of perseverance that are exhibited by people in those events. Alternatively, ask them to speculate about what might have happened if they had been more persistent.
2. Controlling One’s Impulsiveness
Including waiting time during discussions or using helpful sentence stems to reflect intentional choice (e.g., “I chose to wait”) can help you model patience in the classroom “Following a thorough examination of all possible solutions”)… “).
3. Listening to others with compassion and empathy is essential.
Students can identify the most common listening set-asides in conversation, which will aid them in recognizing common misunderstandings later on “Mistakes” occur frequently in everyday communication. Giving advice, judging, placating, or comparing one’s message to another’s message are all examples of mistakes that can be made instead of listening.
4. Be adaptable in your thinking.
RAFT assignments (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) can be used to help students think about a situation or letter from the viewpoint of someone else or the perspective of the original speakers.
5. Reflecting on Our Thought Processes (Metacognition).
Instruct students to draw a diagram of their thought process. You can begin by simply sketching the relationship between a desire and a need, or between a gesture and a desire to gesture, and then building on that. Make it more difficult by tracing the paths taken by characters from books and thinkers throughout history to arrive at specific starting and stopping points in their thought.
6. Strive for accuracy and precision in everything you do.
To ensure that any important assignment is checked by at least three people before it is submitted, you should use the phrase “three before I.”
7. Questions and problems are raised in the seventh point.
Set aside an area in your classroom where students can park their questions that don’t fit into the class’s pace or format. This area should be stocked with post-it notes and provide a haven for them. You can then select the best questions and use them to kick off discussions or lesson planning sessions in your classroom.
8. Past knowledge that is applied to new circumstances
“Can you tell me what you remember about…?” and “When was the last time you saw something like this?” are good questions to ask. Alternatively, “Tell us what you know about… ” This tool can make a significant difference in the learning process, whether it is used for activating schemas, gaining previously acquired knowledge, or simply helping students become more comfortable with what they already know.
9. Clarity in communication and thinking is number nine.
Students should be reminded to avoid using terms such as “all,” “none,” “everyone,” “celebrities,” “technology,” “teachers,” and “celebrities” when discussing their classmates or teachers. Students can be reminded of these words and phrases if they are posted in a prominent location. Hopefully, you will also understand why they should be avoided in the future.
10. Gathering information using all of one’s senses
Allow students to “cite” sources from sensory data as well as traditional textual sources in a fun and engaging way. Consider including this type of information in a rubric to evaluate formal learning.
11. Imagination, imagination, and innovation are essential.
As writing prompts, class discussion points, or as a class closure, provide students with constant sources of inspiration, design, art, or multimedia. This model demonstrates both creativity and expertise, and it is readily available on YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram.
12. The best reactions are ones of awe and wonderment.
Students should not be given the option of selecting topics, formats, or learning paths. Students should not be given the option of selecting the topics, formats, or learning paths that they prefer.
13. Accept responsibility for your actions and risks.
Make certain that failure is not penalized in a culture that promotes learning and growth.
14. Discovering a Sense of Humor
If you look for humor in stories or examples that are not immediately obvious, especially in your own life, you will most likely discover it. This will assist you in comprehending the concept of “relativity,” which will allow you to conduct a more precise analysis. Humor is an excellent tool for improving one’s outlook on life.
15. Considering the interdependence of things
Even in the simplest form, the use of digital and social media creates a need for interdependence right from the beginning. Even though cognitive interdependence increases the likelihood of thinking being shared and published, neither of these factors is a guarantee.
16. Constantly Educating Oneself
To identify areas for development, improvement, or revision, it is advisable to revisit previously written or completed projects from time to time. This is especially true in digital domains, where content can be shared, hyperlinked, and curated by the user community. After that, it’s distributed once more.
These are only a few of the numerous alternatives that could be considered.