Section I: Starting

This section explores how instructors foster Habits of Mind, especially in gateway courses. Chris Babits illustrates how Habits of Mind can reduce DFWI rates in an introductory history course. Jennifer Grewe introduces readers to the USU Connections program, a 3-day orientation for first-year students that integrates Habits of Mind skills to promote academic buoyancy, especially among lesser prepared and first-generation students. Cree Taylor discusses how she embeds Habits of Mind in first-year composition courses to help students thrive in college. Doris McGonagill explains how she infuses sustainability learning in the upper-division second language classroom, though the issues raised in this chapter should “trickle down” into gateway courses. Finally, Missy Kofoed examines how she uses Habits of Mind to reveal the “hidden curriculum” of college in CHEM 1010.

Habits of Mind discussed in this section include:

• Persisting
• Thinking flexibly
• Applying past knowledge to new situations
• Thinking about your thinking (metacognition)
• Managing impulsivity
• Striving for accuracy
• Taking responsible risks
• Remaining open to continuous learning