Blog Series by Daniel Vollrath, Ed.D.
“To build habits, mind, behaviors, and success, you need reflection.”
As educators the desire to develop and strengthen productive habits within our students is paramount. One way to do this is through reflection. Reflection is the mental process of consciously looking at and evaluating our thoughts, feelings, actions, and procedural steps within an experience. Interpreting, analyzing, questioning, and rehearsing are essential thinking skills required within this process.
Over the last five years of infusing a Habits of Mind teaching and learning philosophy into the classroom, I have experienced significant, meaningful, and impactful reflections from students. These reflections have contributed to the building and displaying of productive behaviors, in both the educational environment, and life outside of the classroom.
To demonstrate the importance of reflection on the Habits of Mind, I am going to assemble the reflections into six categories: metacognitive awareness, exploration, building community, self-confidence, application potential, and subject-based habits. Each category will be presented through a monthly blog series. All blogs touch upon how students are utilizing and being mindful of the habits within their everyday life.
The goal of these monthly blogs is to inspire, promote, and provide relevance behind the Habits of Mind, metacognition, and producing reflective learners.
- *The Power of Reflection – Metacognitive Awareness* (October)
- *Exploration with Habits of Mind* (November)
- *Building a Habits of Mind Community* (December)
- *Self Confidence with the Habits of Mind* (January)
- *Subject Based Habits of Mind* (February)
- *Teacher Perceptions on Infusing Habits of Mind* (March)
Additional Blogs
- Stepping to the Upstairs Brain with Habits of Mind
- The 9 Habits of Mind for Powerful Writing
- Habits of Mind and Resiliency: Tools for Success
- Executive Function Infused with the Habits of Mind
Full list of posts by Daniel Vollrath.
Daniel Vollrath, Ed.D.
Daniel Vollrath has served in various educational settings within special education. After completing a doctoral study titled Developing Costa & Kallick’s Habits of Mind Thinking for Students with a Learning Disability and Special Education Teachers, Daniel has tailored his research, expertise, and knowledge into working with students with learning disabilities. Infusing dispositional thinking and strategies into IEP procedural formats, behavioral plans, inclusive environments, and developing 21st century skills into students with learning disabilities are paramount to his beliefs and values as an educator. Daniel provides
extensive workshops custom-fit to the needs, visions, and goals of any school district.
Daniel can be reached at: danvollrath44@gmail.com.
