Parent Teacher Student Conference
At school we practice many things! Our practices and our studies help us develop habits. At Mustard Seed School we think of our Habits of Heart, Mind, Learning and Work. We spend all year growing these habits, and we use our parent-teacher conferences to share with you our observations about your child’s habits. We also believe that students who develop these habits have the skills and attitudes necessary to be achievers, persons with agency, and life long learners.We look forward to meeting with you and your child to share goals and reflect on these habits. Please come prepared to listen and to share on the habits below.
Twenty Habits
“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us” – John Dryden
Habits of . . .
Heart (being hospitable; caring for others, for ideas, and for self)
listening with empathy and understanding, respects, forgivesresponding with wonder and awe, recognizes and appreciates beauty
celebrating and having joy, a sense of humor, affirmation
responding with gratitude, humility, openness
expressing kindness: serving, welcoming, encouraging
Mind (constructing and reconstructing ideas and knowledge)
connecting and synthesizing: applying prior knowledge, connecting thoughts into a wholecreating: imagining, innovating, modeling
thinking flexibly: adapting and changing with purpose
questioning and pursuing inquiry with curiosity
reflecting: metacognition
Learning (processing, active and continuous pursuit that builds expertise)
persisting: learning and practicing with perseverance, tenacity, gritself-regulating: using self control, managing impulsivity
exploring: taking risks with boldness, willing to fail and make mistakes
striving for accuracy, clarity, excellence, elegance
using all senses and modes to gather information, communicate, represent
Work (self-directed, effective, productive)
managing time - independently pacing actions in view of timemanaging materials - independently and with purpose ordering materials, media, tools
organizing thoughts: plans, strategies, ideas, sequencing
attending with focus and stamina
engaging fully in tasks, participating with motivation and personal investment