Lecture Notes on Habits of Mind

Introduction

• Discussion on the common journey people take with habits of mind.
• Importance of how teachers view and approach habits of mind for long-term success.

Starting the Journey

• Everyone is already on the journey of habits of mind.
• Experienced teachers have always used habits of mind in their teaching.
• Lack of common language around habits of mind may affect implementation.

Integration into Curriculum

• Encourage reviewing curriculum documents to identify existing habits of mind.
• Use effective language from the curriculum (e.g., work ethic, dedication).
• The need for students to develop positive work habits and the misconception that habits of mind are a new strategy.

Focus on Improvement

• Shift focus from just using language of habits of mind to improving them.
• Importance of recognizing existing practices in lesson plans related to habits of mind.
• Common language should include specific habits rather than general work habits.

Teacher Practices and Language

• Teachers should shift from labeling to improving habits of mind.
• Use language that encourages growth: "how do we get better at..." instead of just "use."
• Focus on growth, development, and maturity of habits of mind in student outcomes.
• Importance of self-reflection for teachers.

Relationship Between Habits of Mind and Achievement

• Challenging tasks alone do not develop habits of mind; mature habits lead to success.
• Use sports analogy: teach skills and strategies, don’t just practice tasks.
• Teachers need to focus on developing mature habits to support challenging tasks.

Dual Learning Outcomes

• Two learning outcomes: content knowledge and improvement in habits of mind.
• Define what improvement looks like clearly.
• Use dimensions of growth (meaning, capacity, alertness, value, and commitment) to gauge progress.

Assessment and Planning

• Use backwards design to identify content and habits of mind outcomes in lesson planning.
• Assessment should reflect the achievement of both content and habits of mind.

Case Study: Karen Watson

• Example of Karen Watson, a head of English, using habits of mind.
• Observed dramatic improvement in student success and her teaching practice.
• Habits of mind transformed the classroom experience for both students and teacher.

Development Over Time

• Shift from teaching habits of mind as a topic to long-term development.
• Importance of integrating habits of mind across all teaching experiences.
• Teachers should not perceive habits of mind as additional workload but as integral to teaching.

Conclusion

• Emphasize developing habits of mind over time, not just in isolated units.
• Focus on pedagogy that promotes better habits of mind in students.
• The goal is lifelong development of habits of mind in students.