Habits of the Mind 



Dispositions

The disposition to seek and evaluate reasons: the tendency to question the given, to demand justification; an alertness to the need for evidence; the ability to weigh and assess reasons.

The disposition to be playful and strategic: the drive to set goals, make and execute plans, envision outcomes; alertness to lack of direction; the ability to formulate goals and plan.

The disposition to clarify and seek understanding; to desire to understand clearly, seek connections and explanations; an alertness to clarity and need for focus; an ability to build conceptualizations.

The disposition to be metacognitive: the tendency to be aware of and monitor the flow of one’s owns thinking; alertness to complex thinking situations; "the ability to exercise control of mental processes and to be reflective."

The disposition toward sustained intellectual curiosity: the tendency to wonder, probe, find problems; a zest of inquiry; alertness for anomalies; the ability to observe closely and formulate questions.

The disposition to be broad and adventurous: the tendency to be open minded, to explore alternative views; alertness to narrow thinking; the ability to generate multiple options.

The disposition to be intellectually careful: to urge for precision, organization, thoroughness; an alertness to possible error or inaccuracy; the ability to process information precisely.

Culture of Inquiry

- Thinking independently
- taking responsible risks
- applying past knowledge to new situations
- Gathering data through all the senses
- managing impulsivity
- Responding with wonderment and awe
- Creating, imagining, and innovating
- Listening to others with understanding and empathy
- Striving for accuracy and precision
- Learning Continuously
- Thinking about our thinking (metacognition)
- Questioning and posing problems
- persisting
- Thinking flexibly
- Finding humor
- Thinking, and communicating with clarity and precision

Questions

-What are my resources?
-How might I break this problem down into its component parts and develop a ----Strategy for understanding and accomplishing each step?
- How does this problem affect others?
-What resources do I have available or need to generate?
-Habits of mind are examples of how a reflective person may respond to the -Question: "What is the most intelligent thing I can do right now?”
-How can I approach this problem flexibly?
-How can I draw on my past successes with problems like this?
-What questions do I need to ask?
-What do I already know about the problem?
-Do I need to check out my data success?
-How can I illuminate this problem to make it clearer, more precise?
-How can I draw upon my repertoire of problem solving strategies?
-How can I draw upon my repertoire of problem solving strategies?
-What can I learn from others that would help me become a better problem solver?
-What feelings or emotions am I aware of which might be blocking or enhancing my progress?
-How can i look at this problem from a fresh perspective (lateral thinking)?
-How might I look at the situation in another way?
-What am I aware of in terms of my own beliefs, values and goals with this problem?
-How can we solve it together?
-What do I know or not know?
-What strategies are in my mind now?
-How can I learn from this?