Habits of Mind a Shared Vision for the Learning Community

HABITS OF MIND – A SHARED VISION FOR THE LEARNING COMMUNITY

LAYING FOUNDATIONS

Habits of Mind are broad and enduring essential lifelong learnings. It is hoped that by teaching them to our students, they will be more disposed to draw upon them when they are faced with uncertain or challenging situations. Ultimately, the habits will help to develop: “Thoughtful, compassionate and co-operative individuals who can play a productive part in the increasingly chaotic, complex and information rich world of the 21st century”.

Habits of mind are not about small scale isolated developments in some classrooms by some teachers. They are about creating a learning culture for the whole SMCC community. No extra work from teachers is required – just a subtle change to the way that we teach and the resources that we use. This is our first year with this new development – and this will be the hardest! We need staff to sell this idea to the students, and engage with them using the language of the habits.

“Teaching towards the habits of mind is a team effort. Because repeated opportunities over a long period are needed to acquire these habits of mind, the entire staff must dedicate itself to teaching toward, recognising, reinforcing, discussing, reflecting on, and assessing the habits of mind” INTRODUCING ‘HABITS OF MIND’ AT SMCC

1. ASSEMBLIES – I will deliver a whole school ‘lead’ assembly at the beginning of the school year. YEAR HEADS could use habits of mind in their weekly assemblies. 2. SCHOOL PLANNERS – The 16 habits of mind are listed on a page in the planner. This is a good reference point for staff to use. 3. FORM TIME – All Tutors can set exercises, discuss habits, use examples etc as a useful start to the day. 4. CREDITS – These can be awarded to reinforce use of the habits. Please use the tutorial credits for now (available from your Year Head), and I will order a dedicated ‘habits’ credit as soon as possible. 5. DISPLAY – All staff can provide habits posters, portraits, news articles as display materials in their rooms. The posters make it easy to make regular reference to the habits, and a variety of designs are available from the Resources Centre. 6. MEETINGS – HOF and SMT should make reference to the habits in meeting time. 7. PASTORAL PROGRAMME – Year Heads should be able to incorporate the habits into form period time in a number of different ways. 8. LETTER TO PARENTS – I intend to write to parents in the first few weeks to explain what we are doing, and how they can contribute. CLASSROOM EXERCISES

 Incorporate habits into lesson learning objectives  Regularly refer to habits in the main part of the lesson  Make the habits explicit in the lesson plenary. What habits of mind did we use today? What evidence can you offer? Where else in their life could/would/did they use this habit?  Examine a soap opera/film/novel by looking at the plot through habits of mind  Use examples of habits in current affairs from newspapers  Illustrate various habits through posters of famous individuals  Make a display for selected habits – a ‘wordsplash’ of key words, or ‘picturesplash’ of people demonstrating the habits.  Design new icons for each habit  Complete a Y chart for a habit (as we did on the INSET day), explaining what a habit might look like/sound like/feel like  Design subject specific habits of mind posters. For example, what does this (habit of mind) mean to you as a geographer?  Focus homework on a particular habit.  Use ‘You Tube’ films or songs as starters to introduce habits.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Some staff meeting time will be dedicated to the development of habits of mind, and I intend to provide a time line to summarise the way forward. I will be able to provide additional resources at these meetings, and we can use some of the time to work together to develop resources of our own. We will also have to attend to some major issues such as assessment and parent involvement.