Additional Resources

A Few Important Things to Keep in Mind:

Struggling is part of learning.

You are capable of anything.

YOU are the focus of this class, not me.

YOU are responsible for your learning, not me.

Everything you do affects everyone else.

You are important as a learner and human being.

Habits of Mind Essential for Success

Curiosity. The desire to know more about the world.
Openness. The willingness to consider new ways of being and thinking in the world.
Engagement. A sense of investment and involvement in learning.
Creativity. The ability to use novel approaches for generating, investigating and representing ideas.
Persistence. The ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects.
Responsibility. The ability to take ownership of one’s actions and understand the consequences of those actions for oneself and others.
Flexibility. The ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands.
Metacognition. The ability to reflect on one’s own thinking as well as on the individual and cultural processes used to structure knowledge.

Developed by the Council of Writing Program Administrators, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Writing Project

Growth Mindset

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” ~Thomas Fuller
“You have not failed unless you have quit trying.” ~Gordon B. Hinckley
“Don’t tell me how talented you are. Tell me how hard you work.”~Arthur Rubenstein

OPTIMISM: The belief that no matter the obstacle, we have the power and possibility to overcome it.

RESILIENCE: The ability to bounce back from setbacks and frustrations and learn from them when they happen.

PERSISTENCE: The habit of trying something more than once, or sticking with something through the hard parts.

FLEXIBILITY: The knowledge that there are multiple ways to solve any problem, and the skills to strategically solve it.

Interesting Parent Reads:

16 Habits of Mind

Arthur L. Costa, the co-author of the core principles of The 16 Habits of Mind says, “The 16 Habits of Mind are the characteristics of what intelligent people do when they are confronted with problems, the resolutions to which are not immediately apparent.”

Here is a link to the habits of mind chart from the Habits of Mind Institute:

Habits of Mind Chart

These Habits of Mind include:

persisting
managing impulsivity
listening with understanding and empathy
thinking about your thinking
striving for accuracy
questioning and problem posing
applying past knowledge to new situations
communicating with clarity and precision
gathering data through all senses
creating, imagining, and innovating
responding with wonderment and awe
taking responsible risks
finding humor
thinking interdependently
remaining open to continuous learning

Recommended Reading for Parents:

Ways Parents Can Support Students to Be Successful

1. Help your child to be well-rested, well-nourished and on-time for classes.

2. Encourage independence, autonomy and self-advocacy.

3. Emphasize effort, engagement, learning and growth over grades.

4. Encourage connection- with self, with family, with friends.

Ways Parents Can Support Learning in Our Classroom

1. Trust the teachers and the learning process.

2. Communicate positively and in partnership.

3. Contribute resources:

send in magazines for students to read (National Geographic, Backpacker, Popular Science, other kid publications)
send in old magazines to be chopped and reused for projects
donate books- from your home, a used bookstore, or brand-new

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