How Habits of Mind Has Touched Me - Essay Example

A Reflection on How “Habits of Mind” Has Touched Me The revolutionary theory created by Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick en d “Habits of Mind”(2000) has impacted me in ways other educational books have never done before. It forced me to introspect on the kind of teacher I presently am, and what kind of teacher I still want to be, to be able to empower my students to reach their optimal level of learning, Going through the rubric had helped me a lot in ascertaining my current level in the various habits of mind. My self-evaluation profiles a teacher that exhibits a diversity of levels in different competencies expected of teachers. I ranked myself on level 3 in the habits of Persistence and Flexibility of thinking. I did not see myself as persistent until I developed a passion for teaching my students, who themselves, need encouragement in “stick-to-it-iveness”. Many people nowadays are not used to delaying their gratification. Perhaps media, and its emphasis on speed and convenience is to blame. Children have been exposed to quick-responding, interactive computer games, programs, and high-speed internet to satisfy their curiosity. When it comes to school work, though, it becomes a struggle to solve problems on their own, especially if teachers want to see the process of how they come up with solutions. Habits of Mind (HOM) has instilled in me the value of persisting until I reach my goals. In effect, it has propelled me to do the same with my students. They need to persevere in order to survive, because not everything in life will come easy to them. When they reap the fruits of their persistence, they will appreciate the struggle they have gone through. Thinking “out of the box” is one thing I have developed in terms of flexibility of thinking. With the understanding that children exhibit different learning styles, I as the teacher have learned to adapt. I could not always insist on my way of thinking in others, but need to be flexible just so I can live and learn harmoniously with them. I have learned to accept that my students may have different interpretations of concepts, some valid, and some not, but it is interesting to probe why they came up to such interpretations nonetheless. Somehow, the idea speaks to them in a way that makes sense to their own contexts. I am now open and flexible to various thinking styles. I have accepted this as part of creativity, which is a quality I am proud to possess. Creativity covers a wide range of definitions. According to J.P. Guilford, in its narrowest sense, creativity comprises “the abilities…characteristic of creative people…, which include such activities as inventing, designing, contriving, composing, and planning. People who exhibit these types of behavior to a marked degree are recognized as being creative.” (Guilford, 1950). Some other accepted definitions of Creativity are as follows: the ability to see things in new ways; boundary breaking and going beyond the information given; thinking unconventionally; making something unique or original; and combining unrelated things into something new (Schirrmacher, 1988). Torrance (1965), a proponent in creativity research, defines creativity as the “process of sensing problems or gaps in information, forming ideas or hypotheses and communicating the results.” Such definitions parallel Costa and Kallick’s view of flexibility in thinking. The areas with the most growth I have identified were Questioning, Self-Directed Learning and Checking for Accuracy. I have placed myself on level 4 or even 5 on these areas, meaning I am able to foster learning in these areas to others, and I have become an advocate for such habits of mind in my own learning organization. As a teacher, it is but natural to supply answers to questions students may have. We have been known to be “dispensers of knowledge”. However, questioning is one habit of mind that helps fill in the gaps between what is known and what is not, and it may be a skill necessary for further relevant and meaningful learning. I have learned strategies in questioning to make my students ponder at the questions more deeply and not necessarily just spout out available answers. In turn, my students have been taking baby steps in posing intelligent questions that also involve critical thinking in the people they ask questions from. The three-story intellect is then stimulated and commissioned to action. Being a self-directed learner gives me control of my own learning. Now, I am not anymore uncomfortable with not knowing things, because I know I can always steer myself to move towards being enlightened. As a teacher, I am not expected to know everything, but I project to my students to image that I myself am a lifelong learner, and with things I do not know, I intend to take the journey with them to find out. I am not afraid to grow with my students in terms of learning something new everyday. That is why I do not stifle my own curiosity of even the simplest things. I would like to impart to my students the same attitude to learning… that we are humbled by the things we do not know, yet nothing can stop us from pursuing knowledge in everything we want to know about. Age is no impediment to learning, and wisdom may be achieved at any age. However, with this attitude of pursuing self-directed learning should come reflection. According to Osterman (1990), reflection is the essential part of the learning process because it results in making sense of or extracting meaning from the experience. Reflective practice has both advantages and disadvantages. It can positively affect professional growth and development by leading to greater self-awareness, to the development of new knowledge about professional practice, and to a broader understanding of the problems that confront practitioners (Osterman 1990). However, it is a time-consuming process and it may involve personal risk because the questioning of practice requires that practitioners be open to an examination of beliefs, values, and feelings about which there may be great sensitivity (Peters 1991; Rose 1992). I know that this process is an essential part of a teacher’s “growing pains” which I just have to go through. Teaching with excellence entails checking for accuracy and precision. I have set for myself the highest standards to reach and maintain, and expect nothing less from my students. Although I value creativity, and am flexible in thinking, I do not compromise accuracy of details and information. Call a spade a spade and not anything else. In a world where gray dominates most situations, I opt to identify what is black and what is white, to avoid confusion and not be drowned in uncertainty. This is the same value I would want my students to learn. Having confidence in the accuracy of the information they hold gives them the strength to stand for the truth and not be easily manipulated or exploited by other people who thrive on muddled information. I know this value will help them in their future life challenges. The habit of mind that posed the greatest challenge for me is Metacognition. It is the ability to know what we know and what we don’t know and to be spurred to action in filling in the gaps. Costa and Kallick define metacognition as “becoming increasingly aware of one’s actions and the effect of those actions on others and on the environment; forming internal questions as one searches for information and meaning, developing mental maps or plans of action, mentally rehearsing prior to performance, monitoring those plans as they are employed – being conscious of the need for midcourse correction if the plan is not meeting expectations, reflecting on the plan upon completion of the implementation for the purpose of self-evaluation, and editing mental pictures for improved performance.” (2007c, n.p.). It seems like such a tall order for an ordinary teacher like me, but if I am to concretize my vision of pushing my students to reach their optimum potentials, then I have to find strategies in helping them develop metacognition. I must be able to determine their thinking processes in order to help them develop a higher level of thinking. I find Dr. Costa’s T.A.P.S. strategy as a promising way to promote metacognition. TAPS stands for Think Aloud Problem-Solving. The process goes this way: the teacher poses a challenging problem to the students. Then, she invites the students to describe their plans and strategies for solving the problem out loud. It is like brainstorming freely without fear of judgment. Then, students share their thinking as they are implementing their plan. Together, they reflect on the effectiveness of the strategies proposed (Costa & Kallick, 2007b). Such a process entails the choice of a relevant problem or situation to ponder on. I can start with simple problems that are meaningful to them, and move on to more challenging ones as they become comfortable with the TAPS method. That way, they become more and more aware of how they think and process problems to find solutions. I found out from this course that to engage and sustain metacognition, checking for accuracy is necessary. I need to clarify ideas that may be confusing to them to guide them into organizing their thoughts more clearly. I should also practice the habit of questioning well so they are encouraged to be critical in their thinking. As a teacher, I should resist giving them answers even if I already know it, and instead just provide data to guide them in arriving at their own answers. I should also be careful in making judgments, as these may discourage them from sharing their ideas out loud. It would also affect their self-esteem. As a team, we should stay focused on thinking and not easily give in to distractions. It is also my duty to encourage persistence so they are able to appreciate the whole process to its fruition. In sharpening my skills in metacognition, other habits of mind are likewise being exercised and improved. Such knowledge of the habits of mind has been helpful to me as a teacher and as a person. I am able to apply my learning from this course to my class and become a more effective teacher as I find ways and means in likewise helping my students develop such habits. Personally, my own growth and development as a lifelong learner has just been enriched by this knowledge. I am able to assess myself in terms of my strengths and weaknesses, and am guided as to how I may improve in my own thinking and even in how I view and adapt to others. References Costa, A and Kallick, B (2000) Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: Costa, A.L. and Kallick, B (2007a) "Assessing Reporting on Habits of Mind.", a PowerPoint presentation retrieved on November 13, 2007 from http://www.habits-of-mind.net/ Costa, A.L. and Kallick, B (2007b) "Building a More Thought-full Learning Community with Habits of Mind," a PowerPoint presentation retrieved on November 13, 2007 from http://www.habits-of-mind.net/ Costa, A.L. & Kallick, B. (2007c) “Describing 16 Habits of Mind”, Retrieved on November13, 2007 from http://www.habits-of-mind.net/ Guilford J P(1950),” Creativity”, American Psychologist 5: 444-54 Osterman, K. F (1990) "Reflective Practice: A New Agenda for Education." Education And Urban Society 22, no. 2: 133-152. Peters, J. (1991)"Strategies for Reflective Practice." In Professional Development For Educators Of Adults. New Directions For Adult And Continuing Education, no. 51, edited by R. Brockett. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Fall. Rose, A., (1992) "Framing Our Experience: Research Notes on Reflective Practice." Adult Learning 3, no. 4: 5 Schirrmacher, R.(1988) ,Art and creative development for young children N.Y.: Delmar Publishers, Inc. Shalaway, L. (1998) Learning to Teach. New York: Scholastic Professional Books Read More

According to J.P. Guilford, in its narrowest sense, creativity comprises “the abilities…characteristic of creative people…, which include such activities as inventing, designing, contriving, composing, and planning. People who exhibit these types of behavior to a marked degree are recognized as being creative.” (Guilford, 1950). Some other accepted definitions of Creativity are as follows: the ability to see things in new ways; boundary breaking and going beyond the information given; thinking unconventionally; making something unique or original; and combining unrelated things into something new (Schirrmacher, 1988).

Torrance (1965), a proponent in creativity research, defines creativity as the “process of sensing problems or gaps in information, forming ideas or hypotheses and communicating the results.” Such definitions parallel Costa and Kallick’s view of flexibility in thinking. The areas with the most growth I have identified were Questioning, Self-Directed Learning and Checking for Accuracy. I have placed myself on level 4 or even 5 on these areas, meaning I am able to foster learning in these areas to others, and I have become an advocate for such habits of mind in my own learning organization.

As a teacher, it is but natural to supply answers to questions students may have. We have been known to be “dispensers of knowledge”. However, questioning is one habit of mind that helps fill in the gaps between what is known and what is not, and it may be a skill necessary for further relevant and meaningful learning. I have learned strategies in questioning to make my students ponder at the questions more deeply and not necessarily just spout out available answers. In turn, my students have been taking baby steps in posing intelligent questions that also involve critical thinking in the people they ask questions from.

The three-story intellect is then stimulated and commissioned to action. Being a self-directed learner gives me control of my own learning. Now, I am not anymore uncomfortable with not knowing things, because I know I can always steer myself to move towards being enlightened. As a teacher, I am not expected to know everything, but I project to my students to image that I myself am a lifelong learner, and with things I do not know, I intend to take the journey with them to find out. I am not afraid to grow with my students in terms of learning something new everyday.

That is why I do not stifle my own curiosity of even the simplest things. I would like to impart to my students the same attitude to learning… that we are humbled by the things we do not know, yet nothing can stop us from pursuing knowledge in everything we want to know about. Age is no impediment to learning, and wisdom may be achieved at any age. However, with this attitude of pursuing self-directed learning should come reflection. According to Osterman (1990), reflection is the essential part of the learning process because it results in making sense of or extracting meaning from the experience.

Reflective practice has both advantages and disadvantages. It can positively affect professional growth and development by leading to greater self-awareness, to the development of new knowledge about professional practice, and to a broader understanding of the problems that confront practitioners (Osterman 1990). However, it is a time-consuming process and it may involve personal risk because the questioning of practice requires that practitioners be open to an examination of beliefs, values, and feelings about which there may be great sensitivity (Peters 1991; Rose 1992).

I know that this process is an essential part of a teacher’s “growing pains” which I just have to go through. Teaching with excellence entails checking for accuracy and precision. I have set for myself the highest standards to reach and maintain, and expect nothing less from my students. Although I value creativity, and am flexible in thinking, I do not compromise accuracy of details and information.

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