32 Habits That Make Thinkers
32 Habits That Make Thinkers
by Terry Heick
The difference between students and learners is something we’ve discussed before. On the surface it’s a matter of tone and compliance, but it also has to do with purpose–why are they learning? How much of themselves are invested in the process? And does it lead to personal change, or mere performance?
So below are 32 habits–or strategies, actions, or behaviors–that can lead to that critical shift that moves students from mere students to learners who are able to think critically for themselves. Key themes? Patience, scale, and perspective.
32 Habits That Make Thinkers
1. Doesn’t always seek to please others
2. Is a charismatic listener
4. Asks “Why?” almost annoyingly
5. Is comfortable with uncertainty
6. Writes for their own understanding, not performance
7. Values questions over answers
8. Thinks laterally, endlessly connecting this to that, here to there
9. Uses divergent thinking
10. Can move back and forth from micro to macro thinking
11. Reads for pleasure
13. Studies the nuance of things (because it’s interesting)
14. Sees every situation as something new, because it is
15. Asks what they’re missing or haven’t considered
16. Playfully reframes and/or improves questions
17. Relates humility to learning, and vice-versa
18. Can instantly separate fact from opinion
19. Resists confirmation bias (i.e., they instead analyze then draw conclusions)
20. Doesn’t follow crowds
21. Articulates their own thinking without prompting (often creatively)
22. Designs learning pathways effortlessly–they just go
23. Socializes thinking for collaboration rather than approval
24. Sees learning as inseparable from living
25. Reflects for analysis rather than judgment
26. Uses emotion to catalyze their intellect
27. Sees situations from multiple perspectives
28. Plays with ideas (without being told)
29. Can think with simplicity about complexity, and with complexity about simplicity
30. Demonstrates an insatiable curiosity for something (may not always be what’s academic or convenient)
31. Seeks to be both rational and ridiculous in their thinking
32. Shows patience (by “dwelling with” questions, texts, or problems)
Bonus
33. Finds the complexity within the mundane