Staying Open Coach Writing Partner (Select when prewriting)

Openness is fostered when writers are encouraged to
-- examine their own perspectives to find connections with the perspectives of others;
--practice different ways of gathering, investigating, developing, and presenting information; and
--listen to and reflect on the ideas and responses of others— both peers and instructors- to their writing.
“Habits of Mind” in Frameworks for Success in Postsecondary Writing

Gathering Data Through All Senses
Use your natural pathways! Paying attention to the world around you. Gathering data through all the senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch.

Learning about the ways that your brain gathers and stores information can help as you are learning. All external information gets into your brain through one of these sensory pathways to sharpen mental functioning:

gustatory: the tastes you gather through your mouth.
olfactory: the smells you inhale through your nose.
tactile: the sensations you feel through your skin.
kinesthetic: the positions you take through your movements and posture.
auditory: the sounds you hear through your ears.
visual: the sights you see through your eyes.
Most learning comes from the environment by observing or taking in through the senses. Mathematicians form mental images in their minds to visualize a problem or scenario. Social scientists solve problems through scenarios and role-playing. Auto mechanics learn through hands-on repairs. Weavers try out combinations of colors and textures to create a design. Chefs use ingredients and techniques to experiment with flavors and textures. We deepen our knowledge as we experience more in the world.

We gather data from internal sources as well. If you are in touch with your own emotions, you are also in touch with the physical sensations in your body. For example, you know that you are fearful because your heart rate begins to speed up, your stomach clenches, and your hair stands on end. You sense what other people are experiencing or feeling by sensations that arise in our own bodies. All of us are like walking antennae, receiving and registering the felt experience of those around us. Some of us are better at this than others. To accurately register this kind of information requires being in touch with our own emotional responses.

Pay attention to the world around you. Ask yourself: What am I noticing in my environment? What details capture my attention?
Deliberately use your senses when you are trying to remember something. For example, draw (or find) a picture that captures the idea. Act out a historical event to capture the feeling or mood.
When engaging in a new topic or problem, ask yourself, What sources of data should I consider? How is what I am experiencing impacting my thinking?
Keep a noticing notebook. Keep a noticing notebook where you can enter sketches, drawings, photos or anything that captures senses.
Zoom in, zoom out. Look at something with a magnifying glass or take digital photographs to see different perspectives on the same object.
Habits of Mind for Students by Bena Kallick, Art Young, and Allison Zmuda

Gathering Data through All Senses: Have you considered the senses within your writing, explaining the sights, taste, touch, and smell?
Example: Make the reader feel that he or she is physically there in the story. Show the use of sound, taste, sight, and touch. Check this out from a sophomore’s narrative feature:

“As soon as we walked inside, my mind, still deep in thought, was assaulted by an overflow of senses. The lights in the lobby flashed purple and pink. Huge speakers blasted pop songs. Drag queens swirled around offering free samples. There was more designer perfume in the air than oxygen. I loved it.”

An Inclusive Approach to a Reading and Writing Workshop with the Habits of Mind By Daniel Vollrath and Scott Einhorn

Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Understand others! Devoting mental energy to another person’s thoughts and ideas. Making an effort to perceive another’s point of view and emotions.

Ever find yourself saying, “I hear you” when, in fact, you are not really listening? Ever wonder whether someone is really paying attention to what you are trying to say? Good listening can be difficult because it requires keeping focused on what the other person is saying and not interrupting with your own thoughts. Ears operate at the speed of sound, which is far slower than the speed of light the eyes take in. When you are listening, you are also learning how to become more comfortable with silence so you can slow your mind’s hearing to your ears’ natural speed. You listen not only for what someone knows, but also for what they are trying to represent through their facial expressions, body language, voice intonation and eye movements.

A primary strategy you can use for becoming a better listener is the 3 Ps: pause, paraphrase, and probe.

PAUSE
WHY: Effective listeners need to learn how to “pause their brain” and set aside their own thoughts.
HOW: Wait time. Being silent to make sure the other person has finished their thought. It is often difficult to manage impulsivity and be silent. Many people use strategies such as counting to 20 or looking down at notes they are taking

PARAPHRASE
WHY: Letting others know that you are trying to understand them and that you value their ideas and thoughts.
HOW: Sentence stems such as: “You’re suggesting that…..” “Your idea is…..” “You’re upset because……”

PROBE
WHY: Showing others that their ideas are worthy of exploration and consideration AND demonstrating your desire to understand more fully before trying to respond with suggestions or advice.
HOW: Sentence stems or clarifying questions such as: When someone uses terminology or words that are vague, the listener clarifies to make certain they understand. This shows their interest in what the other is saying. “Say more about your ideas on …… “What did you see in the text that led you to make that inference?” ” Explain what you mean by…”

Good listening often leads to even better ideas than the ones inside our heads.

Habits of Mind for Students by Bena Kallick, Art Young, and Allison Zmuda

Listening with Understanding and Empathy: Are you listening to other viewpoints?
Example: Get into the habit of listening closely to what others have to say when presenting information and conversing. The idea is to try and understand another person’s perspective and feelings, especially when they differ from your own; in other words, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. An argumentative discussion about a topic within a classroom is a great example: certain topics can elicit valuable conversation and offer the opportunity to understand opposite ideas and perspectives. Picking up on a peer’s tone of voice, emotion, and conviction will allow you to empathize with them. This habit is very useful, even necessary, when researching, outlining, and drafting claims and counterclaims.

An Inclusive Approach to a Reading and Writing Workshop with the Habits of Mind By Daniel Vollrath and Scott Einhorn