Notes from “Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind”, Chapter 2: Describing the Habits of Mind

1. Habits of mind are the characteristics of what intelligent people do when they are confronted with
problems whose (re)solutions are not immediately apparent.

2. Educational outcomes in traditional settings focus on how many answers a student knows. Habits of
mind show how students behave when they don’t know the answer. Teaching habits of mind
enhances how students produce knowledge rather than merely reproduce it. It develops the critical
attribute of not only having information but also knowing how to act on it.

3. The habits of mind include:

a. Persisting – sticking to a task until it is completed
b. Managing Impulsivity – thinking before acting with deliberation
c. Listening with Understanding and Empathy – the ability to listen to another person; to
empathize with and to understand that person’s point of view
d. Thinking Flexibly – the capacity to change one’s mind as new data is received; engaging in
multiple and simultaneous outcomes and drawing from a repertoire of problem-solving
strategies
e. Thinking about Thinking (Metacognition) – the ability to stand off and examine our own
thoughts while we engage in them
f. Striving for Accuracy – valuing exactness, precision, accuracy, correctness, faithfulness and
fidelity
g. Questioning and Posing Problems – knowing how to ask questions to fill in the gaps between
what they know and what they don’t know
h. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations – the ability to call upon a store of knowledge and
experience as sources of data to support, theories to explain, or processes to solve new
challenges
i. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision – communicating accurately in both
written and oral form, taking care to use precise language
j. Gathering Data through all the Senses – using sensory pathways (gustatory, olfactory, tactile,
kinaesthetic, auditory, and visual) to obtain information
k. Creating, Imagining, Innovating – conceiving solutions to problems differently, examining
alternative possibilities from many angles
l. Responding with Wonderment and Awe – having both an “I can” and “I enjoy” attitude; finding
joy in learning new things or solving new problems
m. Taking Responsible Risks – being able to place oneself in situations that do not have sure
outcomes while being thoughtful about consequences and a sense of what is appropriate
n. Finding Humor – the ability to perceive situations from an original and often interesting vantage
point
o. Thinking Interdependently - having the ability to think in concert with others, to recognize
interdependence and develop sensitivity to the needs of others
p. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning – life-long learning; striving for improvement, growing,
learning, and modifying of the self; considering problems, situations, tensions, conflicts, and
circumstances as valuable opportunities to learn