Common Thinking Language

The College promotes and refers to Habits of Mind and Habits of Virtue throughout the year.
Each term one of the Habits of Mind is highlighted in the College’s Daily Notices which is circulated to all students and staff. Different quotes relating to that Habit of Mind are chosen to draw attention to it. Senior students also watch a presentation at their assembly to remind them about the Habits of Mind. Posters in every classroom portray the Habits of Mind graphically.

The 16 Habits of Mind are:
thinking interdependently, gathering data through all the senses, applying past knowledge to new situations, taking responsible risks, questioning and posing problems, responding with wonderment and awe, creating, imagining and innovating, thinking flexibly, remaining open to continuous learning, listening with understanding and empathy, finding humour, managing impulsivity, striving for accuracy, persisting, and metacognition.

To become a successful learner, a student needs to understand how they think and why. Students are encouraged to ask themselves “How do I work best?” “What motivates me to learn and what demotivates me?” “How do I remember things?” and “How do I organise my thoughts?” This is known as Metacognition or thinking about thinking.
Students are actively encouraged by the Habits of Virtue to think about others. (See the box to the right for an explanation of the HOV).
A number of aides to thinking called Hyerle’s thinking maps are available in the classroom to help students’ think critically about their ideas. For example students might compare and contrast, define in context, describe qualities, classify, break a whole into parts, explain how something develops in a sequence, outline cause and effect, or use analogies. The maps also assist students with thinking visually.
Creative thinking sees students developing lots of good ideas which are original and innovative, building on current thinking to create something new. It is having the opportunity to put these ideas into practice that makes a real difference to students’ perspectives.
Caring thinking involves thinking about others, being empathetic towards problems in the world and respectful of the multicultural community in which we live.
Working in groups and bouncing ideas of others encourages interdependent thinking. Provocative thinkers question and enquire about why things are the way they are and are challenged to not accept the status quo. Students also think about their identity – how they fit in to the College and their place in society.

“There are very few school communities around the world that have dedicated themselves to the systematic development of thinking processes and behaviours of all students. St Cuthbert’s College has done this with a thinking programme that rigorously attempts to integrate multiple models of thinking and technologies together for student-centred learning. St Cuthbert’s College is also rare in that they have pursued this work while also documenting, reflecting upon, and evaluating their progress so that improvements are made for the benefit of students and teachers over the long haul and not just for short term gains.”
Dr David Hyerle
Designs for Thinking

“The work of St Cuthbert’s College is truly impressive; they are pushing the level of complexity and sophistication of the Habits of Mind beyond all previous work. They are making new connections, developing archives of effective practices, and are extending the application and development of the Habits of Mind to new and diverse situations. There is a blaze of enthusiasm for thinking and the Habits of Mind as the staff link and think together, they are beginning to see payoff in their students. Not only are students becoming more aware of the Habits of Mind, they are using them as an internal “value-compass” to guide their decisions, their actions and their thoughts”.
Dr Arthur L Costa