Habits Of Mind with an Innovator's Mindset

I find book study groups so exhilarating! Recently, a colleague and I read Habits of Mind Across the Curriculum and met three separate times to discuss the ideas that we were reading about. We have two very different jobs: she's the Transition to Kindergarten teacher and I'm the Teacher Librarian in the building and yet we were able to connect through this amazing text. That's the beauty of the Habits of Mind. They can be integrated into any classroom.

And there are plenty of overlaps between the Habits of Mind and George Couros' "Eight Things to Look for in Today's Classroom." 


In fact, some of the Habits of Mind are the very building blocks of innovation: thinking flexibly, taking responsible risks, persisting, thinking about your thinking, applying past knowledge to new situations and questioning and posing problems. If you can teach these habits to students, they are more likely to embrace an innovator's mindset.

Being a librarian, I have the opportunity to see the same students year after year. Why not start focusing on the Habits of Mind during library? Choose a focus (one or two habits) for each grade level and then build on from year to year. For example, Listening with Empathy and Understanding is a habit that a lot of our younger students need to develop. So, I'm going to start working on this with my 2nd grade students. If all goes well, I will introduce it into my first grade library time later this spring. 

Anyone out there have any advice on integrating the Habits of Mind in the library? I'm anxious to hear what others are doing in this area.