Habits of Mind are traits and characteristics that people posses when they are confronted by situations or problems that they do not immediately know the answer or resolution to.   This is my pedagogy for art education and my lesson Where You Are and Where You Are Not.  There are 16 Habits of Mind.

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1. Persistence

2. Managing Impulsivity

3. Listening with Empathy and Understanding

4. Thinking Flexibly

5. Thinking and your Thinking: Metacognition

6. Striving for Accuracy

7. Applying Past Knowledge

8. Questioning and Posing Problems

9. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision

10. Gathering Data Through All Senses

11. Creating, Imagining & Innovating

12. Responding With Wonderment and Awe

13. Taking Responsible Risks

14. Finding Humor

15. Thinking Interdependently

16. Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

They all could relate to my lesson but there are 5 that relate most. 

Persistence- persevering in task through to completion and remaining focused.  Looking for ways to reach your goal when you’re stuck.  Not giving up. 

 This relates to any artistic project.  There is always a problem and a goal.   When working with digital media for the first time it can be very frustrating and I think persistence is a key element in being successful with any new medium. 

Thinking Flexibly- look at it another way, being able to change perspectives, generate alternatives, and consider options. 

Again, I think this related to the arts.  In my lesson I’m asking the student to have two perspectives, one where they are, in life, physically where they are, etc. and the other where they wish they were.  Then I’m asking them to be creative and use different techniques to get their message across.  They will have to consider their options and figure out the direction in which they are going to solve the assignment. 

Thinking about your Thinking: Metacognition- Know your knowing!  Being aware of your own thoughts, strategies, feelings and actions and their effects on others.

This is a reflective personal habit of mind.  The question of the lesson is reflective and personal as well.

Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision- Be clear!  Striving for accurate communication in both written and oral form; avoiding over generalizations, distortions, deletions and exaggerations.

Once the student has come up with a solution to the questions where are you and where do you want to be? They must communicate that through the visual arts, which is where they will face this habit of mind. 

Creating, Imagining & Innovating- Try a different way! Generating new and novel ideas, fluency, originality

I think this goes with all the arts and directly related to any art lesson!

For more Information about Habits of Mind Check out these Websites!!

http://www.habitsofmind.org/what_are_the_habits_of_mind.htm

http://www.habits-of-mind.net/