When I think back on what I learned in 5th grade, I understand why this year was my best year in Elementary School. This year was my most successful one. The one thing I learned that will always stick with me out of all the things I’ve learned is The Habits of Mind. The Habits of Mind are basically just different ways to respond to different situations. Let’s say you fell on your face in a crowd and were not injured. One of my favorite things to do is just remember the Habits of Mind. One is called finding Humor. It would be best in my opinion to just laugh it off. This way everyone knows that you don’t take everything seriously. One Habit of Mind that I have really utilized this year is Thinking Interdependently, unlike all my other years at Beebe, this year I have rally worked in groups with other people in my class. This really let me see other people’s perspectives and I was now able to compare them with my own. I have really enjoyed learning about the Habits of Mind because it makes me see that there is much more to school than just reading and arithmetic. I saw that it was really possible to learn some great life lessons through all the Habits of Mind. I know I will never forget any of them.
—Ashley, 5th Grade, Contributed by Brian Horner, Beebe Elementary School, Naperville, Illinois