Perhaps you feel you're ready to begin using the Habits of Mind with your own students. As you observe them working in groups, solving problems, and interacting with others, which Habits of Mind do you think they need most? You might ask yourself, "What is it about my students that makes me think they need to learn how to think? What do I see them doing, hear them saying, or notice them feeling that indicates they need to learn these Habits of Mind? How would I like them to be?"

I do not suggest you start with all 16 of the habits described in this book. Prioritize the list. Share the list with your class and discuss what certain Habits of Mind would look or sound like if students used them. Are your students impulsive, acting without thinking and blurting out answers? You may wish to start with managing impulsivity. Do your students interrupt each other, laugh at others, or put them down? You may wish to start with the habit of listening with understanding and empathy. Do your students lack awareness of their own problem-solving strategies and their effects on others? You may wish to begin with thinking about thinking (metacognition).