Teaching and living the Habits of Mind

SANDRA BRACE

Teaching and living the Habits of Mind

You can learn as much as your students.

The joy of teaching has been a part of my life for over 25 years. For the past seven, I have taught the Habits of Mind. The “Habits” have transformed the purpose and practice of my teaching, and the student achievement that I have witnessed as a result has been no less than extraordinary. Also, I have found that teaching the HOMs offers the opportunity to live the HOMs -- and this might be the most important piece of all. I wonder if far above and beyond the scope of what we teach as teachers it is who we are as teachers that impact out students most. Teaching and living the Habits means that we value thoughtfulness, collaboration, learning and joy. It means that the focus of our day, regardless of what we are doing, is also a framework to order and process the events of the day in a thoughtful way. It means that we are in agreement with the notion that there are identifiable behaviours and characteristics of successful people, and that we can cultivate these in our own selves. For me, and those around me, this has meant a lot more “happy.” As I work toward improving my practice as a teacher, I am continually impressed by how a HOM focus impacts my own day-to-day life challenges. Both living and teaching can be incredibly stressful experiences at times, and we want to be successful in what we are doing. Teaching and living the HOMs creates a structure where we can mindfully address life’s challenges within a structure for success. No wonder it works so well in the classroom.

Teachers are wonderfully diverse and we choose to teach for a variety of reasons. Whatever they may be, teachers value thinking and learning. Teachers value the art of teaching and learning, and we value each other. We value the work we are doing, and are aware of its importance. When we reflect throughout the day on what we are doing, and where it is aligning with successful behaviour, we are working the Habits. We set up a structure

SANDRA BRACE

for success for ourselves and those around us and we are able to replace some of our existing habits that aren’t working for us with some that do. Within this thoughtful structure, our passion can be preserved. We don’t experience burn-out in the same way when we are actively working on ourselves,

and really engaged, and finding our joy. The most significant difference living the HOMs has made in my life is the peace of mind and being that has come with it.

Teaching can be a hard job. In my experience, the job of teaching has become much more intrinsically meaningful to me by teaching the Habits. It has served me as an unfailing structure by which to identify personal growth and achievement, and provided a language that if adhered to will have a “win-win” solution. We are inspired by our successes, inspired to refine our practice, and the focus of thoughtfulness brings deeper meaning to the job. All thinkers and learners respond positively to environments that are shaped by thoughtfulness. Students want to be listened to, and understood, and challenged and allowed partnership in their learning. As teachers we have to meet our students where they are, and the HOMs always apply. A student must first and foremost be his own success story, and the HOMs provide a flexible structure toward this for every student in the class. It is success in learning that inspires a lifelong learner, and this is our purpose for student and teacher alike. There is greater meaning for all. Teachers will go the extra mile for what is meaningful to them. Teachers frequently go the extra hundred. Teaching and living the Habits of Mind is very much about exploration, new understanding, and joy. When the focus is thoughtfulness, relationships are valued and strengthened. Teaching includes a variety of complex interactions with people and structures daily, and the learning

community becomes increasingly diverse. In teaching the Habits we model the construction of a language and system of assessing what is going on around us with the intention of thoughtfully dealing with it. It is an invaluable system for difficult situations or decisions. Often in teaching, it is a challenge not to take things personally, especially when our plans are derailed. With a constant focus on where the pieces of what we are experiencing are connected to the HOMs, we bring the situation, problem or event to a still point of thoughtfulness; and the results are always more positive, harmonious, and peaceful - even in the most challenging settings, if given the opportunity. As teachers we deal with fluctuating schedules, expectations and demands; diverse personalities, conflicts of ideas and opinions, unforeseen circumstances, and problems that require difficult resolutions. Teaching and living the Habits provide a structure and a system to navigate the complex journey of our lives, both personally and professionally. Even though I am a teacher/author/ speaker by profession, I am first and foremost a mum, and have been blessed with two wonderful children. My son was in his late teens and out of the house before I learned about the HOMs, but my daughter has enjoyed the benefits of my new learning for the last seven years. I often wish my son had been a part of my “mindful” parenting, I know it would have been very useful to both of us - especially in his early teens. The work of parenting can be very challenging, and very often parents are hard pressed to feel

“successful” in this role. Adopting the

HOMs can set up a structure in our personal lives that supports our ability to identify where we are succeeding - even in the most challenging situations. Living the Habits means that we value the HOMs in every part of our lives that require thought, decision making, management and coping. We have committed to a more thoughtful way of “being,” that soon becomes who we “are.” In my experience this has meant greater understanding, better communication, and much more harmony at home. Whatever comes up in the course of a day, I try to find a way to connect with the Habits. I may not be able to “fix” it, but even the worst day can have opportunities to experience success. In the same way that students are inspired to work harder once they are experiencing success, we are thus inspired at home. Everyone does better coming from a place of strength, and harmony in the home is one of the most important “successes” we can enjoy as teachers, and indeed, as people.

I was almost 20 years into teaching before I introduced the HOMs. The transformation that has occurred as a result has been life-changing for me as a teacher and as a person. I experience success in my daily life in a whole new way. My perceptions and understanding of the world at work around me have changed. I certainly haven’t “figured it all out,” but I am much more excited and far less intimidated by the process of “getting there.” I am more positive, more focused, more understanding and compassionate, more thoughtful - and most important, happier.

“ Teaching and living the Habits means that we value thoughtfulness, collaboration, learning and joy. ”