Habits of mind
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Professor Arthur Costa, Emeritus Professor of California State University, Sacramento, defines sixteen types of intelligent behaviour called "habits of mind". These habits will aid students to perform well in school and everyday life as they encounter life's challenges. Habits of mind encourage thinking skills essential to all school activities and lifelong self-directed learning.
Professor Arthur Costa maintains that a critical attribute of intelligence is not only having information but also knowing how to act on it. The habits of mind that contribute to this intelligence are:
1. Stick To It! Persistence Stick to it! Persevering in task through to completion; remaining focused. Looking for ways to reach your goal when stuck. Not giving up.
2. Take Your Time! Managing Impulsivity Take your Time! Thinking before acting; remaining calm, thoughtful and deliberative
3. Understand Others! Listening With Understanding And Empathy Understand Others! Devoting mental energy to another person's thoughts and ideas; Make an effort to perceive another's point of view and emotions
4. Look At It Another Way! Thinking Flexibly Look at it Another Way! Being able to change perspectives, generate alternatives, consider options
5. Know Your Knowing! Thinking About Your Thinking (Metacognition) Know your knowing! Being aware of your own thoughts, strategies, feelings and actions and their effects on others.
6. Check It Again! Striving For Accuracy And Precision Check it again! Always doing your best. Setting high standards. Checking and finding ways to improve constantly.
7. How Do You Know? Questioning And Posing Problems How do you know? Having a questioning attitude; knowing what data are needed and developing questioning strategies to produce those data. Finding problems to solve
8. Use What You Learn! Applying Past Knowledge To New Situations Use what you Learn! Accessing prior knowledge; transferring knowledge beyond the situation in which it was learned.
9. Be Clear! Thinking And Communicating With Clarity And Precision Be clear! Striving for accurate communication in both written and oral form; avoiding over generalizations, distortions, deletions and exaggerations.
10. Use Your Natural Pathways! Gathering Data Through All Senses Use your natural pathways! Pay attention to the world around you Gather data through all the senses. taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight
11. Try A Different Way! Creating, Imagining And Innovating Try a different way! Generating new and novel ideas, fluency, originality
12. Have Fun Figuring It Out! Responding With Wonderment And Awe Have fun figuring it out! Finding the world awesome, mysterious and being intrigued with phenomena and beauty. Being passionate.
13. Venture Out! Taking Responsible Risks Venture out! Being adventuresome; living on the edge of one's competence. Try new things constantly.
14. Laugh A Little! Finding Humor Laugh a little! Finding the whimsical, incongruous and unexpected. Being able to laugh at oneself.
15. Work Together! Thinking Interdependently Work together! Being able to work in and learn from others in reciprocal situations. Team work.
16. I Have So Much More To Learn! Remaining Open To Continuous Learning I have so much more to learn! Having humility and pride when admitting we don't know; resisting complacency.
