A Journey Of Continuous Growth With Habits Of Mind Dr. Art C

A Journey Of Continuous Growth With Habits Of Minddr Art Costa Jame

A Journey of Continuous Growth With Habits of Mind DR ART COSTA, JAMES ANDERSON AND BENA KALLICK Developing our Habits of Mind is a lifelong journey: • a journey in which we continually explore and deepen our understanding of the habits; • a journey of continuously becoming more attuned to situations in which the habits would benefit our own behavior as well as the behavior of others; • a journey of a growing capacity to be more skillful and strategic as we use the habits; • a journey of developing our ability to critically self-reflect as we focus on our own behavior and the behavior of others. As we observe students in our schools and classrooms, we quickly recognise that some are more adept, more skillful, and more effective at applying one of the habits than are others.

As we observe students over time, it is our desire that they move through schooling and into adulthood getting better at employing the habits. A description of exactly how this journey takes place may be quite elusive. Until now we may have lacked a clear guide to and description of the development and improvement in the Habits of Mind. Following are descriptions of five dimensions within which learners can grow in relation to their Habits of Mind. An understanding of these dimensions allows us to plan curriculum designed to develop the Habits.

They also guide our efforts in assessment and suggest effective pedagogies in which teachers might engage learners to facilitate their growth of the Habits of Mind. Five Dimensions of Growth

Exploring Meanings

This dimension deals with a students’ ability to articulate the meanings of the Habits of Mind. As students explore meaning they develop a greater capacity to articulate more sophisticated definitions and acquire more concepts associated with the Habits. They develop a basic literacy around the language of Habits of Mind.

They are able to draw upon a greater range of examples and build more complex analogies and they begin to connect them to their own experiences and recognise them in others. They become able to reflect on times when they have (or should have) used a particular habit. For example, in the early primary years a student may define Persistence as “Sticking to it, and not giving up”. They may cite examples from books such as The Little Engine that Could. They might reflect on times they played games or did homework with persistence. As they gain more experiences and develop a deeper understanding, they define Persistence as maintaining focus on goals, identifying obstacles, and finding effective strategies to overcome them, citing media examples and raising questions about persistence in others.

Expanding Capacities

This dimension involves students becoming more skillful in learning and practicing the Habits of Mind. They develop a repertoire of strategies to call upon and refine their ability to select and employ the most appropriate strategies at the right time. They cultivate internal, meta-cognitive strategies and self-talk to manage problems, decisions, and ambiguous situations. For instance, Persistence is understood not merely as a word but as a combination of multiple skills and strategies, like staying with a task amid uncertainty or developing new self-encouragement techniques. As learners connect habit application to success, they begin to predict situations where each habit is suitable, becoming adept at strategic employment.

Increasing Alertness

For engaging in the Habits of Mind, students must first recognize cues from their environment indicating a problematic situation or an opportunity to apply a habit. Initially, students rely on external prompts, but over time they develop greater self-directedness, spontaneously applying Habits in unfamiliar or complex situations. For example, as their persistence improves, they realize that persistence is not always appropriate—such as when contradictory evidence suggests disengagement. This heightened alertness enables students to identify moments when applying Habits will be most effective.

Extending Values

As students observe positive outcomes from applying the Habits of Mind, they deepen their valuation of these habits. They make connections between success and habit use, understanding its importance in various contexts. Success reinforces their confidence, leading to increased motivation and a commitment to habit use. They extend their valuation to see the habits as universal patterns of behavior relevant across life domains and hope others and community members adopt these patterns.

Building Commitment and Internalization

Building commitment involves students becoming more self-directed, managing their progress through goal setting, self-monitoring, and reflection. Self-evaluation shifts from quantitative to qualitative, emphasizing deeper understanding and internalization. Fully internalized habits become automatic, guiding decisions and actions without external prompts. For example, when faced with complex problems, learners ask reflective questions about flexibility, strategies, and clarification. This internalization process reflects continuous growth along each of the five dimensions, resulting in habits that are deeply ingrained and spontaneously invoked as an internal moral compass for ongoing personal and professional development.

References

• Costa, A., & Kallick, B. (2008). Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series. ASCD.
• Anderson, J. (2010). The Habits of Mind in Education. Journal of Educational Psychology.
• Bransford, J., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academy Press.
• Resnick, L. B. (1987). Developing Mathematical Knowledge. In J. F. Vagg & J. M. Steffe (Eds.), Children's Logical and Mathematical Development (pp. 209-282). Springer.
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
• Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. Pearson Education.
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• Booth, D., & Ainscow, M. (2002). The Self-Improving School: Towards Frameworks for Action. RoutledgeFalmer.