HABITS OF MIND

In my classroom of fourteen students with special needs ranging from specific learning disability to autism, I have found that there are a variety of habits and mindsets at work. Habits and mindsets are traits that students develop to support their ability to learn, grow, and succeed. One strength that I see in my classroom is the habit of mind of “creating, imagining, and innovating”. When my students are not acting impulsively, they are able to “listen not only to the ‘music’, but also to the essence of the person speaking” (Costa & Kallick, 2000, p.3). Yet, these habits of mind are observed when my students are not acting impulsively, which happens to be another habit of mind. From my observations, one habit of mind that is a specific area of growth for my classroom is “managing impulsivity”. Another habit of mind that is a specific area of growth for my classroom is “persisting”.

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My students are beginning the path to developing a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a state of mind in which one constantly see the potential for improvement. Rather than getting defeated from an incorrect answer, a student with a growth mindset will continuously try to get the right answer and improve upon their previous attempts. From time to time, in the classroom as noted in my observations, I see my students applying notes from prior activities to their present work, aligning to the habit of mind of applying past knowledge to new situations. I also hear my students laughing when they make mistakes and willing to try again. By finding humor in their work, my students are beginning to “persist in the face of setbacks” (Richard, 2007).

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Through explicit instruction and practice of the habits of mind of "persisting" and "managing impulsivity", as well as reinforcement of "creating, imagining, and innovating", my students have been able to develop their personal understanding of the traits and tools  required to be successful, growth-mindset driven students.