Mindfulness and Thoughtfulness: Leading and Teaching with Habits of Mind in Research and Practice

Edited by Servet Altan and Jennie Farber Lane.

Teachers and researchers in education today are charged with helping learners resolve constantly changing global and regional issues. These issues do not have simple solutions and addressing them requires critical and creative ways of thinking. Essential to developing these thinking skills is to examine current dispositions and behaviors; to become more mindful of why we think the way we do and to become more thoughtful about actions we take. In Mindfulness and Thoughtfulness: Leading and Teaching with Habits of Mind in Research and Practice, practitioners and researchers in the field of education present learning theories, case studies, teaching techniques, and professional development strategies associated with these Habits of Mind. Readers will find teaching inventories, self-assessment tools, and reflection exercises to become mindful and thoughtful teachers and educational researchers.

From the Introduction:

This book, Mindfulness and Thoughtfulness: Leading and Teaching with Habits of Mind in Research and Practice brings a unique perspective to Habits of Mind (HoM) by focusing on two important and timely concepts for teachers today: mindfulness and thoughtfulness. These concepts are needed in a world where teachers may be overwhelmed when helping their students face global and regional issues such as climate change, social justice, and threats to health and well-being. Cultivating HoM leads to intelligent behaviors that constructively and flexibly improve teaching practices. Practices that can help students develop knowledge, dispositions, and skills they will need to ensure a sustainable world for today and tomorrow.

This book provides teachers, curriculum developers, and professional development providers with a deeper and clearer understanding of dispositions, an important concept in teacher education. A variety of researchers and educators present learning theories, case studies, teaching techniques and professional development strategies associated with Habits of Mind and the concepts of mindfulness and thoughtfulness. The book is organized into three parts. In Part I: Discovering Mindful and Thoughtful Habits of Mind for effective teaching research into learning theories associated with Habits of Minds helps explain intelligent behaviors associated dispositions. Part II: Creating thoughtful and mindful school culture and curriculum with Habits of Mind includes chapters that provide recommendations and strategies for ensuring HoM are integrated into the school setting as a whole (its mission, profile and curriculum). Finally, Part III: Examples of how Habits of Mind contributes to thoughtful and mindful education showcases professional development experiences and case studies that share how HoM have been implemented, developed, and assessed. All three parts provide readers with the background, design strategies, and awareness of how to implement more mindful and thoughtful education practices through HoM that provide students with meaningful and constructive learning experiences.

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