Habits of Mind
What are habits of mind?
"A Habit of Mind is a pattern of intellectual behaviors that leads to productive actions." - Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick
There are 16 Habits of Mind identified by Costa and Kallick in the book Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for Success.
Why do students need habits of mind?
Because "Habits of Mind" are the personal characteristics and tools that makes a person more likely to be successful, utilizing and developing these skills will be instrumental in being able to attain a person's education and personal goals.
developing YOUR habits of mind?
At Cabrillo College, we want you thrive and be successful in your education and personal goals. As such, we have integrated habits of mind in the WCC Student Guide. In "Developing Your Toolbox" you will be given actionable steps to take to be successful in your educational and personal goals at Cabrillo College. Your tools are the 16 Habits of Mind. Get familiar with the 16 "Habits of Mind" below and start thinking of which ones are important for you to develop.
Have fun and enjoy the journey in reading your educational and personal goals!
The 16 Habits of Mind
1. Persisting
Stick to it! Persevering in task through to completion: remaining focused. Looking for ways to reach your goal when stuck. Not giving up.
2. Managing Impulsivity
Take your time! Thinking before acting; remaining calm, thoughtful and deliberate.
3. Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Understand others! Developing mental energy to another person's thoughts and ideas; Make an effort to perceive another person's point of view and emotions.
4. Thinking Flexibly
Look at it another way! Being able to change perspectives, generate alternatives, consider options.
5. Thinking about Thinking
(Metacognition) Know your knowing! Being aware of your own thoughts, strategies, feelings and actions and their effects on others.
6. Striving for Accuracy
Check it again! Always doing your best. Setting high standards. Checking and finding ways to improve constantly.
7. Questioning and Posing Problems
How do you know? Having a questioning attitude; knowing what data are needed & developing questioning strategies to produce those data. Finding problems to solve.
8. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Use what you learn! Accessing prior knowledge; transferring knowledge beyond the situation in which it was learned.
9. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity & Precision
Strive for accurate communication in both written and oral form: avoiding over-generalizations, distortions, deletions and exaggerations.
10. 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. Creating, Imagining, Innovating
Try a different way! Generating new and novel ideas, fluency, originality.
12. Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Have fun figuring it out! Finding the world awesome, mysterious and being intrigues with phenomena and beauty.
13. Taking Responsible Risks
Venture out! Bring adventuresome; living on the edge of one's competence. Try new things constantly.
14. Finding Humor
Laugh a little! Find the whimsical, incongruous and unexpected. Being able to laugh at one's self.
15. Thinking Interdependently
Work together! Being able to work in and learn from others in reciprocal situations. Team work.
16. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Learn from experiences! Having humility and pride when admitting we don't know; resisting complacency.