The Habits of Mind are the dispositions called upon by intelligent people when confronted with problems, the solutions to which are not immediately apparent.

Identified by Emeritus Professor Art Costa and expanded upon with Bena Kallick, the 16 Habits of Mind have been adopted by schools, families and in work places as a means to develop more thoughtful behaviour.

A summary of the 16 Habits of Mind can be down loaded here and a more detailed article describing here.

Our growing understanding of the Habits of Mind have lead us to an understanding of not just what the Habits of Mind are, but also of what it means to develop and improve upon our Habits of Mind. James Anderson has been instrumental in helping to describe what development of the Habits of Mind looks like and how it can be facilitated.

Teachers are beginning to develop pedagogies and curriculum design that focus on students improving their Habits of Mind. Schools and other organizations are making the Habits a core part of their culture and becoming Mindful organizations.

Importantly, individuals of all ages are adopting the Habits of Mind as a way to increase their thoughtfulness. By monitoring our use of the Habits of Mind, evaluating how effectively we are using them, and setting goals to develop our Habits we are enabled to behave more intelligently.

Play the video below to listen to Art Costa describe the Habits of Mind.

There are a growing number of resources available to anyone interested in the Habits of Mind. Some are listed on this web site, others are available through publishers like ASCD. Still more are in production around the world. Use the links and resources section of this web site to help find out more about the Habits of Mind.