Habits & Mindsets
Students are explicitly taught to employ positive, productive habits of mind and mindsets both in and out of the classroom. Character development and academic development are seen as complementary (rather than competing) objectives.
Introduction
I became an educator, in part, because of my fascination with character and civic education. Thus, I work very hard to help my students cultivate positive character traits, habits of mind, and growth mindsets throughout the year. This effort begins on the first day of school and extends throughout the school year. Unlike curricular topics, habits and mindsets can be taught at any and every moment during the school day. Furthermore, students learn as much from the models that their teachers provide as they do from any explicit lessons about character and mental orientation.
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At my school, we teach and reinforce mindsets through a variety of activities and strategies. Click the links below to learn more about these general approaches and to explore specific examples related to particular habits and mindsets.
Conclusion
I am a strong believer in teaching habits and mindsets in conjunction with course content. Academic learning is indisputably important, but teachers must challenge their students to become the best sorts of learners, citizens, and people that they can be. This is one of my favorite parts of teaching middle school. My students have matured enough to be thinking seriously about their visions for the future, and developing positive habits and mindsets can have a profound effect on their ability to achieve short- and long-term goals.