Introduction
"Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it." -Horace Mann
There are 16 Habits of Mind (HOM) foci that I have found very influenial in my instruction. This section showcases the two that have been most prevalent in my class: Persistence and Taking Responsible Risks. In their book Habits of Mind Across the Curriculum: Practical and Creative Strategies for Teachers, Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick (2002) describe persistence as persevering when faced with opposition or uncertainty. Thus, when faced with a challenging task, students use their analytical thinking skills to develop a solution to the problem before them. Furthermore, when students are in an environment that sets high expectations and nurturing accommodations for learning from their mistakes, they set high goals for themselves and constantly find ways to accomplish them (Costa & Kallick, 2009a).
While students benefit largely from consistently demonstrating all sixteen of the Habits of Mind, Persistence and Taking Responsible Risks in particular have been linked with student academic and social success; in fact, they have been described as necessary for success. Paul Tough (2011) explains that those who go on to accomplish great things exhibit a desire to complete a mission and an unstoppable commitment to completing that mission, even when faced with challenges.
Defining the Habits of Mind
Presented in the form of a table, this introduction to all of the the Habits of Mind gives students the opportunity to define what each Habit of Mind means, in their own words. They also have the space to identify prime examples of when they should and should not use a particular habit. Allowing students to begin defining habits on their own terms will help them to become more aware of their actions and speech in relation to the Habits of Mind.
Habits & Mindsets
An easy-to-understand table helps students clearly define and personalize the Habits of Mind
The Y chart helps students expand their definitions in more abstract ways
Persistence
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete
Proving nature's laws wrong it learned 2 walk without having feet
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams
it learned 2 breathe fresh air
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else even cared!
​
-Tupac Shakur
Most things worthy of achieving require constant and targeted effort. It is important for students to see me modeling persistence in the classroom as well. In a Mindful by Design interview, Arthur Costa describes how instructors can raise the bar for school-wide culture when instructors are aware of and executing Habits of Mind (2012).
In order to overcome uncertainty, my students must be able to comprehend their own actions and potential. This requires that they be self-aware and learn how to appropriately manage their behavior. I start by having a conversation with students and explaining the general meaning of persistence. I also give students a few examples of what persistence looks, sounds, and feels like in action.
After doing so, I allow time for students to define persistence in their own terms. It is beneficial to allow space for students to list a few of their own examples of persistence. They describe times when they have personally shown persistence. To close the conversation, the class creates a chart that lists the class definition of persistence and key times when it should and should not be displayed.
Balloon Activity
This fun activity lets my students take part in an engaging experience with persistence that seems easier than it always turns out to be. Before action is to take place, my students evaluate what achievement will look like. Students continue previous discussion about persistence and what it took to be successful in the lessons. Chapter four of Habits of Mind Across the Curriculum suggests that continuing discussions about Habits of Mind are important opportunities in the "all-encompassing processes" for raising HOM consciousness levels. My students then connect these previous lessons to real world experiences that they can compare with regarding their own challenges.
Next, my students will get to see the materials of the activity; their engagement and familiarity with balloons will give them confidence setting their goals. My kids use this time for goal setting. They share with each other and myself what achievement looks like. When a student transports their balloon from point A to point B (without using their hands), this is achieving their goal. So how will this be accomplished?
After students struggle with tying their inflated balloon, the most challenging aspect of the activity is figuring out how to work cooperatively to maneuver the balloon behind their partners' backs while transitioning from point A to point B.
Persistence Lesson: Story Writing
After the week's focus on persistence, my students have a better understanding of what persistence looks like, but can they also describe what it feels like? In this writing activity, my students perform a creative writing task that involves reflecting on theirs' and others' examples of persistence. The Habits of Mind need to be "explicitly integrated into the delivery of the curriculum" (Costa & Kallick, 2009). The creative writing task is aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3, where students will write a narrative to "develop imagined experiences using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
The three video clips mentioned in the lesson plan pictured above show individual and team structures of persistence. Throughout the lesson I encourage students to consider a narrative approach when discussing the thoughts, actions, and feelings of the football players, marines, and a track runner, respectively. Using habits of mind terminology, I prompt the learners toward metacognition in the discussion of these clips; what were their goals, mindsets, and demonstrations of persistence in each example? Was the determination an independent or team effort? These reflections help each student when it is time to perform the independent writing task.
One of the videos showed during our lesson on persistence. My students appreciate not only the pop culture reference, but seeing their home team making an amazing play
Taking Responsible Risks
“We can never discover new continents until we have the courage to lose sight of all coasts.”
-Andre¢ Gide
Every day my students are expected to take risks in my class. This first comes from building a welcoming culture that encourages participation no matter your confidence level. instead of recognizing what could be deemed as a right answer, I set up a nurturing culture that encourages multiple solutions or outcomes to discussion points and understandings. Problem-solving and twenty-first century skills will likely continue to rely on more group work, and willingness to provide options or ideas will make for a more dynamic group project.
In the videos below you can see a rouse I set up with my social studies class. I have enlisted leaders at our school to come and give a small acting performance, unbeknownst to my students. We have been studying the causes of the American Revolutionary War. The big take-away from this day's lesson was for students to see the risk that the signers of the Declaration of Independence took for their rights and liberties.
My students have a school-wide activity planned for this Friday called "fun Friday," but they have also recently lost the freedom to talk during transitions between classes. After previously learning about our first amendment rights, through class discussion we decide to petition the school principal with a letter of grievances. After lengthy debate, we list our issues and request our talking transitions back. Before students sign the final draft of the letter, one of the school leaders comes in and tells the students that they have heard about this petition and may decide to take fun Friday away from any student that signs the petition (one leader went so far as to say that their job will be in jeopardy!) before leaving.
We have a class discussion about giving up on the letter, but I assure that if any student still feels like taking this responsible risk, knowing the potential consequence, they may still sign. Some are emboldened to sign, some are hesitant but still sign, some try to talk others out of signing, and one student even starts to sob with this decision.
After a little chaos of loyalists and patriots arguing, the school leader comes in and takes a bow. I reveal that this was a simulation, and we debrief about the importance of taking this risk. Students discuss how their desire for school rights (better food at lunch, longer recess, cell phone use, talking transitions, etc) were worth protesting for. We connect this responsible risk to the forefathers of the War of Independence.