Habits & Mindsets

Habits & Mindsets

Introduction

My initial understanding of Habits of Mind has altered quite significantly since the beginning of my JH experience. I began looking at the habits of mind as a set of individual characteristics that were to be related solely to academic achievement. Thus, on My Habits of Mind Journey Part 1, “I identified “persistence” as they key habit of mind for my student’s success. Upon reflection, I wasn’t entirley lost, persistence is in fact important for holistic academic development. However, my understanding of persistence as a crucial habit of mind lied on the faulty assumption that habits of mind were only in relation to academic goal completion.

I identified persistence as both a strength and weakness of my students stating “In understanding persistence as the practice of continuing a task until completion, there wasn’t a single session out of the 35 sessions recorded where the quality of persistence wasn’t demonstrated by a student (Costa, Kallick, 2012).” However, my initial identification that persistence wasn’t also an area of growth in the way that my students lacked the ability for independent problem solving began my development of a more rounded understanding of the habit of mind, for persistence cannot simply be measured in terms of task completion until it was reviewed in the seminar. After identifying “true persistence is also holding the ability to analyze problems when they become more complex through “systamatic methods” so as to solve “ambiguous situations” and then, post comments, understanding said situations as more then academic tasks; my understanding of just how complex and universally applicable habits of mind were.

Striving for accurracy was the second habit I found a defecit in past and current classes which I derrive may be based on how so frequenrly their abiltiies levels were under-estimated; "close enough" becamse an acceptable standard. I implemented different lesson plans and strategies to de-spell this unwanted notion.

Persisting

After 35 sessions of notes, a clear pattern based in an underlying discrepancy appeared: “Persistence” never failed to be partiallydemonstrated. In terms of persisting in the way of sticking to “a task a until completion” my students demonstrated intense stamina when performing well rehearsed systamatic activities (Costa, Kallick, 2000, pg 2). On the other hand, in terms of approaching novel and/or ambiguous tasks with grit, my students’ growth area appeared. Thus, my task became clear, I was going to create a two-step lesson sequence that explicitly taught two habits of mind that directly supplemented habit one: “Persisting.” To focus on persistence in general would be less beneficial in the way that habit is quite broad and multi-faceted; however, focusing specifically on habit seven “Questioning and Posing Problems” and habit nine “Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision” would grant my students the foundation for personal reflection (Costa, Kallick, 2000, pg 1). It was my hope that these two habits would address the “inclination” aspect of habit one specifically while allowing their already developed commitment aspect of habit the habit to thrive (KIPP, 2015) (Costa, Kallick, 2000). After completing a two-sequence lesson plan using theater and handwriting to instill the importance of questioning and communicating, practiced the skills of habits seven and nine explicitly.


I began the first lesson explicitly teaching grit by implementing my students already strong character strengths of “creativity” and “teamwork” and continued these games throughout the year to achieve mastery of persistence (Peterson, 2004). Drawing on these strengths allowed my students to begin the task with two of the twenty-four character strengths they already developed to address another character strength sixteen/habit of mind one that was lacking. Thus, my students approached the challenge of brainstorming types of problems one may encounter if they are attempting to take notes back at their old schools too fast or too slow with.

Games of charades with problems as prompts, "kids on stage" "obstacles" and again the utlizaiton of "too much too little" were all interactive games utlized to teach persistence in a plethora of hypothetical scenerios.


Incorporating Brain Targeted Teaching Methods throughout the year aloud me to furhter increase rigor and address the Habits of Mind (Peristence) and (Accuracy). The Brain Targeted Teaching Techniques aloud me to construct lesson plans with Targeted Instruction that addressed Habits of Mind such as persistence in surmounting difficulty while ensuring I had a proper outline in terms of pedagogy as an instrctor.


Edited Brain Target Presentation.pptx

Obstacles, Guesstures, and Kids On Stage are all games that are activley used to increase the Habits of Mind. The imaginative yet structured games allows students to hone their psychology and increase accuracy and persistence while simtuanously growing other habits such as thinking about thinking. Imgagining creative solutions to problems in obstabcles and acting out growth mindset responses and actions in Kids on Stage and Guesstures is a great and interactive way the habits of mind are grown in my students.


Striving For Accuracy

I was able to break down 2 habits of mind (“Striving For Accuracy” “Clear Communication”) in ways that could be explicitly taught while simultaneously implementing meaningful instruction so as to practice the skills in real time. Furthermore, I returned to my misunderstood habit of mind persistence and went back to correct my once myopic understanding of the habit. As I concluded the assessment, I related the importance of explicit instruction to understand the 3 habits in their entirley while simultaneously stating the importance of their interrelatedness in explaining:

the notion that one habit of mind leads to another while simultaneously tailoring instruction to relate to skills and knowledge students already have (Murray) (Lemov, 2010).”

What is now my personal growth area is when to introduce new habits and balance this with the need to review habits such as “striving for accuracy” and “clear communication.” After conversing with my peers on blackboard, I realize that confidence in my students ability is key. Thus, I must be sure not to “over-correct” and introduce only 2 habits explicitly the entire year. I instead want to ensure clear instruction is given but simultaneously ensure my students are exposed to more than just a mere few habits, for the power of interestedness of the habits truly is awe-inspiring when witnessed first hand. To do this I will continue to strive for my own accuracy in terms of instruction while also demonstrating persistence in exposing my students to a variety of skills that properly delineate the entire cognitive taxonomy.


RigorLessonPlan_FambriniDesmond.pdf

Striving For Accuracy Lesson Plan

This is an example of a lesson plan implemented which was focused on increasing the proficiency in a student "striving for accuracy"

Habits of mind were so successfully instilled in this student during her ASL lessons that she continued to practice the ASL curriculum post graduation. She has now been practicing sign for 3 years on her own time with admant persistence and a special eye for hand formation accuracy.

Increasing Persistence With Rigorous CRT Supplementary Literacy Materials

CRT_LessonPlan_FambriniDesmond.pdf

After granting access to reading materials through the use of Reading Plus, students still need to grow their persistence in understanding implementing the newfound knowledge allotted through the previous access plans. Thus, lesson plans such as the one highlighted were created to increase persistence in understanding and utilizing reading and writing material such as reading plus and wordily wise. The lesson is also culturally resposive in the way that it acknowledges the inherent difficulties of students with special needs like autism, but simutanously challenges them and therefore increases the habit of mind:persistence. To grant literacy access to a student is simply step one; step two is growing their persistence and mastery in the field my increasing the length and breath of lesson plans so as to increase their overall ability to concentrate and further the development of their holistic cognition level. Thus, hybrid plans using both reading plus and wordily wise are prime examples of increased challenge lessons that take into consideration my students need for brief and tailored instruction while simultaneously acknowledging and respecting my students need to grow their persistence in the face of rigorous material they now have educational access to.


Additional Habits of Mind+Artifacts

The habits of mind “persistence” and “striving for accuracy” are not the only focuses. Both in group and one on one sessions our school and my individual practice use a variety of techniques that emphasize mindfulness and internal regulation. These tools are utilized to increase the other habits of mind such as Managing Impulsivity, Listening to Others with Understanding, and Empathy, Thinking Flexibly, and “Thinking About Our Thinking.”



Habits Of Mind Artifacts.pptx


Additional SOE Persistence Analysis & Conclusion/Reflection

Initially in doing this work assessed my students’ habits of mind and found a variety of patterns. I identified persistence as both a strength and weakness of my students stating “In understanding persistence as the practice of continuing a task until completion, there wasn’t a single session out of the 35 sessions recorded where the quality of persistence wasn’t demonstrated by a student (Costa, Kallick, 2012).” My students have learning disabilities and other challenges that at times cause them social anxiety.

It was stated in one of my favorite articles that I find myself sighting often that: “Many students with disabilities are already addressing challenges in the academic environment. When they are bullied, it can directly impact their education.” (PACER). There are a variety of ways general end teachers can combat SPED bullying; however, as SPED instructions, I feel our best option to combat bullying of our students is to give them socializing tools and with my students natural habits of persistence in social situations, this methodology has proven effective (PACER)

Giving our students social tools for engaging other individuals will broaden their social networks and grant them confidence that will carry over to other aspects of their lives (Costa). We want to ensure our students are able to socially interact with random individuals so they can build a network. Such a network can only be developed by being socially extraverted and will results in friends and a community of supportive people who can assist when needed (Boyes). My students grew their persistence, a natural talen of theirs, in an area where they often struggle.I feel they were able to do this because through past work I now understood the complexities of each habits of mind, their individual facets, and also how one strength in a given habit can carry over to an academic or social sector that is a key growth area for a given scholar.

Despite having an entirely new set of students from the year prior, I again find this group having a natural strength in the habit of mind regarding “Persisting.” Although my students, at times, struggle with finishing a task correctly, all five have a clear habitual practice of fully engaging in challenging situations and problems that, despite difficulty, they are willing to stick with when the proper support is given which is an indicator of profiency for the habit Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2000). This begs the question if there is a natural grit developed with overcoming learning disability as some studies develop, of if it is instead my own teaching habits that tend to reward consistent effort over flawless execution. As I noticed last year, there are different types of persistence. It seems that my students possess a specific skill for work persistence, but it should be mentioned that when the habit of mind of managing impulsivity is introduced, the effectiveness of their persistence is sometimes uprooted. With re-directs they are able to again hone in on their natural ability to seek challenge with a specific task and follow through until completion; however, an increase in control over impulsivity would make their already strengthened habit of persistence a more independent event which is crucial (Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2000). Regardless, I still feel my students have a natural inclination for thriving in activities when persistence is required which has produced positive academic and social emotional growth.

(With the understanding that one habit of mind may assist in developing another, I would like to use my student’s persistence to develop Listening to others with understanding and empathy. As previously stated, it has been made clear through multiple sources reviewed that one habit of mind can lead to proficiency and or significant development another. Sources stated this and I also saw this in teaching striving for accuracy firsthand. After I complete direct instruction and activities consistently throughout the year for accuracy and precision that will then be related to persistence is my hope that I can use persistence to then tackle other more socially complex habits of mind for my students such as Listening to others with understanding and empathy.

The first step everything this presidential would be to understand persistence and then relates using one’s tools to increase persistence to then expand on the scale and practice techniques of using one’s tools to assist and help others in their efforts to find resistance this I believe would satisfy other habit of mind requirements such as understanding with empathy (Costa&Kallick, 2000). This is based off the notion that one habit of mind leads to another while simultaneously tailoring instruction to relate to skills and knowledge students already have (Murray) (Lemov, 2010).

The first step in teaching listening and understanding others with empathy would be to teach it with direct instruction just as I have done this year with teaching striving for accuracy (a teaching skill I acquired in my first encounter with studying the habits of mind). Both in my first assessment creating habit instruction a year ago, and this year as well, I focused on the habit of mind “striving for accuracy” and, above all else, set out to explain and demonstrate the skill in its entirety. My stated goals both last year and this was to focus on striving for accuracy while sumptuously implementing language instruction techniques that built on the effective nature of whole body, multi-layered instruction. As both I and many other have experienced, the art of teaching a habit explicitly and with intentionality produced awesome results. Furthermore, I noticed both last year and this year that my instruction of the habits this year was clear, I was able to add additional explanation to explaining and demonstrating “clear communication” while teaching striving for accuracy. I plan to do this very same duel direct instruction for listening with empathy and, in the end, integrate instruction that develops a second habit currently lacking: “Creating, imagining, and innovating.”


I feel I myself taking ownership of this saying and then instilling this new 2 step habit of mind understanding within the class as a personal and relatable instance of unique instruction will both benefit my students ability to connect with others empathetically while simutanously growing their ability to create and imagine. Furthermore I will simultaneously be holding myself to my own growth-mindset standard that an instructor is always capable expanding their skills and adjusting it to fit their students’ needs (Heggart, 2015) (Lemov, 2010).







References

Bronke, C. (2018, February 14). The top five things I learned from a five-year-old about

growth mindset [web log comment]. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2018/02/14/the-top-5-things-learned/#more-290917

Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (Eds.). (2009). Habits of Mind across the curriculum: Practical

and creative strategies for teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2000). Describing 16 Habits of Mind. Retrieved from

http://www.habitsofmind.org/sites/default/files/16HOM2.pdf

Hardiman, M. M. (2012). The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model for 21st-century

schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Heggart, K. (2015, February 4). Developing a growth mindset in teachers and staff. Retrieved

from https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/developing-growth-mindset-teachers-and-staff

Murray, J. (n.d.). Teaching strategies: The 16 Habits of Mind. Retrieved from

http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-16-habits-mind

Lemov, Doug.(2010) Teach like a Champion: the Complete Handbook to Master the Art of Teaching. Jossey-Bass,

2011.