16 Habits Of Mind

A Habit of Mind is knowing how to behave intelligently when you DON'T know the answer.


A Habit of Mind means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known: dichotomies, dilemmas, enigmas and uncertainties.


Our focus is on performance under challenging conditions that demand strategic reasoning, insightfulness, perseverance, creativity, and craftsmanship. The critical attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it.


Employing Habits of Mind requires drawing forth certain patterns of intellectual behavior that produce powerful results. They are a composite of many skills, attitudes and proclivities including:


Value: Choosing to employ a pattern of intellectual behaviors rather than other, less productive patterns.


Inclination: Feeling the tendency toward employing a pattern of intellectual behaviors.


Sensitivity: Perceiving opportunities for, and appropriateness of employing the pattern of behavior.


Capability: Possessing the basic skills and capacities to carry through with the behaviors.


Commitment: Constantly striving to reflect on and improve performance of the pattern of intellectual behavior.





The 16 Habits of Mind identified by Costa and Kallick include:


Persisting


Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision


Managing impulsivity


Gathering data through all senses


Listening with understanding and empathy


Creating, imagining, innovating


Thinking flexibly


Responding with wonderment and awe


Thinking about thinking (metacognition)


Taking responsible risks


Striving for accuracy


Finding humor


Questioning and posing problems


Thinking interdependently


Applying past knowledge to new situations


Remaining open to continuous learning