Principles to Practice
Extending Theories and Beliefs into Classroom Actions
What is GRIT?
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
In an in-depth look at the factors that impact success, Paul Tough proposes that character traits such as persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, optimism and self-confidence, are more influential than an individual's intelligence. These soft skills, when properly developed and encouraged, can help students thrive despite poverty and other environmental influences. These qualities are "rooted in brain chemistry, and they are molded, in measurable and predictable ways" (Tough, 2012, p. 196). As educators, we have tremendous influence on the development of these traits through transformative efforts. In his book, Tough also explores the difficult topics of the influence of stress, chaos, and poverty on children. Through his short stories of success and their connections to research studies, he paints a picture of possibility.
Classroom Habitudes: Teaching Habits and Attitudes for 21st Century Learning by Angela Maiers
A habitude is a trait that is both habit and attitude. In her book, Angela Maiers (2012) describes them as "daily disciplined decisions that successful learners choose to make and a specific attitude that demonstrates a new mindset and way of thinking about the world and one's place in it" (p. 2). The second edition of the book defines and describes activities for seven habitudes:
- Imagination
- Curiosity
- Self-Awareness
- Perserverance
- Courage
- Passion
- Adaptability
A Peek Inside the Book
In the second chapter, Maiers defines imagination as "the mind's ability to constantly create images containing thoughts and memories ignited from our senses. In those images, we create our ideals, role models, heroes, loves, concepts, perceptions, and ideas on how to thrive and survive" (2012, p. 31).
In her lesson framework, Maiers introduces a habitude with an anchor lesson she calls The Million-Dollar Conversation Starter. When starting a class discussion about imagination, she says to her students, "Two words are important to learning: knowledge and imagination. What do you think is the relationship between these two words?" She follows up with the definition of imagination and a quote from Albert Einstein. In following lessons, she provides a scenarios for students to imagine and describes the accomplishments of famous people that show the connections between imagination and creativity. To create lasting meaning to sustain this habitude, answer reflective questions about their own imaginative potential.
Each habitude chapter concludes with additional resources for students and teachers, including a reference list of picture books that explore the topic. For example, for imagination, she includes these three favorites:
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Where the Wild Things Are
All I See
As an added bonus, Maiers has included QR (quick response) codes that will allow you to access supplemental materials such as videos, speeches, blogs, and lessons, with a simple scan of a smart phone equipped with a tag application.
References
Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Deana Sherman
Email: dsherman@finneytown.org
Website: www.time2read.weebly.com
Location: Brent Elementary School
Phone: (513) 728-3720
Twitter: @deana_sherman