A Habit of Mind is knowledge of how to behave intelligently when you DON’T know the answer.
A Habit of Mind means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known: dichotomies, dilemmas, enigmas, and uncertainties.
The critical attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information but also knowing how to act on it.
The 16 Habits of Mind
· Persisting (don't give up!)
· Thinking and communicating clearly
· Managing impulsivity (think first, then speak)
· Gathering data through all the senses (information comes from a lot of places)
· Listening with understanding and empathy
· Creating, imagining, innovating
· Thinking flexibly (new ways of thinking if the first way doesn't work)
· Responding with wonder
· Thinking about your own thinking
· Taking responsible risks (don't be afraid to try something different)
· Striving for accuracy
· Finding humor in situations and being able to laugh at yourself
· Questioning and posing problems (asking questions is at least as important as answering them)
· Thinking for yourself
· Applying past knowledge to new situations
· Remaining open to continuous learning
Source: www.habits-of-mind.net/whatare.htm