Common Behaviors in the Classroom
"Listening with empathy and understanding" is an important skill needed in virtually all situations; however, we seldom teach students how to listen. Teaching this skill, like most others, involves modeling and practice. This skill can be modeled in every content area class and practiced during lecture, discussion, small group activities, and cooperative learning groups.
"Managing impulsivity" is another much needed skill in today's society. Newspapers are full of incidents reporting crimes and accidents that might not have happened had the criminals and victims managed their impulsivity! Running a stop sign, shoplifting, and plagiarism are all examples of people not managing their impulsivity. Examples from content area textbooks as well as fiction can be excellent illustrations of this skill, or the lack of it.
"Persistence" is an intelligent behavior that many students lack. You've probably already seen this behavior in your classroom when a student doesn't turn in homework, stating, "I just didn't understand it." You can model persistence in a number of ways. In mathematics, try a number of incorrect strategies for solving a problem and, finally, choose the correct one. In science and other content areas share stories of those who demonstrated persistence, including Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk, who tried numerous times to solve a problem before they found "the answer."
Posting a list of the Intelligent Behaviors in your classroom, talking to students about them, and finding examples of people using them in real life situations all help students understand that these are important behaviors that they can learn and use themselves. When planning lessons, note what Intelligent Behaviors are expected from your students. As they approach each task, the pertinent behavior(s) can be discussed. For students having difficulty with a particular behavior, plan ways you and others can model the behavior and support your students as they strive to develop that behavior.