Academic growth does not take place in a vacuum. Learners’ social and emotional lives and capacities influence everything they learn and are often responsible when students struggle to learn. With this in mind, it is imperative that schools focus on habits of heart and mind, or learner dispositions, such as openness, perseverance, and thinking flexibly. When students are aware of these habits, when they are most useful, and how they can be applied, the students can activate the habits when they need them most.
Principal Paul Martuccio took some time to share how he and his staff have partnered with students and their families and caregivers to cultivate a culture of openness, a positive student experience in which every member of the community is seen as a person first. In this brief interview, Paul shares how they focus on openness and other habits of heart and mind throughout the school year.
Reflect on the culture you are cultivating
- What are you already doing to make it clear to students that you see them as people?
- What habits of heart and mind are essential to success in and out of your schools?
- Which habits are most valued by students, their caregivers, and the community?
- What are you doing to ensure every learner has many opportunities to develop the habits of heart and mind they bring from their homes?
Resources for cultivating a culture of openness
For more videos and tools related to culturally sustaining and responsive assessment and learning how to cultivate a culture of openness, pick up a copy of Amplify Learner Voice through Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Assessment. Visit the Amplify online resources for tips, tools, and videos related to CRSE, habits of mind, and school culture.
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