Plus a bonus interview with Art Costa and Bena Kallick
It’s been more than 25 years since Art Costa and Bena Kallick introduced the world to the Habits of Mind. In that time, the Habits have become a classic in education, transforming teaching, learning and school cultures around the world.
Unfortunately, not all schools that started their Habits of Mind journey succeeded. Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored why many schools fail. We’ve discussed the need to go beyond simply teaching the Habits of Mind. And we’ve seen how adopting the language of the Habits and requiring students to “use” them is a critical step, but ultimately not sufficient to sustain your Habits of Mind journey and see significant improvements in student learning outcomes.
The “tipping point” comes when a school shifts from using the Habits of Mind to improving them. When this happens, the Habits become woven into an ongoing teaching and learning process. They stop being a topic that once covered is left behind and become more like a subject that we explore and deepen our understanding of year after year. This change in mindset marks the shift from treating the Habits as a “once off” to an ongoing school-wide initiative.
Leaders who nourish the Habits of Mind
Schools that succeed with the Habits of Mind often have a champion. This is an individual who is deeply committed to the Habits; someone who is passionate and has a vision for the Habits to be deeply embedded in the school culture. This person introduces the Habits of Mind to the school community and “gets the ball rolling”.
But anyone who has been in education long enough can tell a story of how last year’s initiative has been replaced with this year’s “latest and greatest” initiative. Passionate individuals can only carry the Habits of Mind so far. Getting the ball rolling is the easy part. Sustaining the Habits of Mind takes leadership.
True school leadership is about creating the type of change that endures beyond your tenure as a leader. In schools where the Habits of Mind thrive, leaders have created structures that nourish and sustain the Habits as part of the school culture.
These leaders create policies that constantly recommit the schools to the Habits. They implement systems that deeply embed the Habits of Mind into the day-to-day practices of the school. They make the Habits part of “the way we do things around here” at all levels, from students, to classrooms, to teachers and school leaders, all the way through to parents and the wider community.
These leaders bring about real school change. They leave a legacy that endures, creating a Habits of Mind Learning Community of Excellence.
