Habits of a Scholar

We have started examining the Habits of a Scholar to guide behavior and work habits in the right direction.  Each week we are focusing on a new habit, beginning with preparation.  Preparation is a skill that many of our scholars struggle with.  They have great minds but young bodies and we are still working to cut down on little minutes of learning time lost here and there throughout the day due to struggles with preparation.  I define preparation as having all materials needed for learning ready on time.  Of course for first graders I tell them what to take out and when to have it ready, but the goal is for the students to develop personal organization and independence.  This is one reason why I ask that they do age appropriate tasks such as carry their own backpacks independently.  Here are some examples of how the scholars see themselves showing preparation:

The second habit that we explored is one that the scholars EXCELL at:  Curiosity.  We discussed how they love to learn and sometimes might drive parents crazy with a million questions, but that asking questions is a way of showing a thirst for knowledge.  We also discussed how curiosity is not about just asking the questions, but also using resources to try to find the answers to those questions.  So the next time your child is asking you obscure questions about a dinosaur species or scientific phenomenon you can encourage them to channel their curiosity into finding the answer for themselves.  I often find myself telling scholars "I don't know the answer to your question yet, but I DO know the resource I can use to find it!"  

Here are some of the many examples of how our scholars explore their curiosity:

This week we are tackling a new scholarly habit: ponder!  Check back soon to see examples of how the scholars think deeply when they ponder.