One Habit of Mind I believe students struggle with is Persisting. I work with younger students, so I find this especially true. I believe some of this is often because a student may struggle with certain tasks. A student who is much better at math will be more persistent than one who struggles. I also believe that students often work on tasks, but don't know why they do. Teachers can tell students that a certain skill is important to learn, but students many times don't really know why. An adult may complete a task for their job that may be difficult, but they understand why it's important that they complete it. Students many times only understand that the task is required as a student.
A second area is Managing Impulsivity. Some students just want to complete a task as fast as they can, regardless of their effort. This can be especially true if the task is difficult. I believe this goes back to understanding (or not) why the task is important. This also applies to acting before thinking things through. This often involves understanding empathy, knowing there are consequences for actions, and sometimes simply, not having self-control.
A third Habit of Mind I believe students struggle to develop is Striving for Accuracy. Students are often told to "check it over", "take your time", etc., yet often times fail to do so. I believe this again has to do with not taking pride in their work. I believe this is due to finding the work difficult, where checking over the work is also difficult. I also believe that, again, many students don't know why they're doing the task. For example, if it's writing a paragraph for the teacher, they may not put much effort in. If they're told the pieces will be on display for an open house, then they may have more of a buy-in, thereby putting more effort in and having more attention to detail.
A second area is Managing Impulsivity. Some students just want to complete a task as fast as they can, regardless of their effort. This can be especially true if the task is difficult. I believe this goes back to understanding (or not) why the task is important. This also applies to acting before thinking things through. This often involves understanding empathy, knowing there are consequences for actions, and sometimes simply, not having self-control.
A third Habit of Mind I believe students struggle to develop is Striving for Accuracy. Students are often told to "check it over", "take your time", etc., yet often times fail to do so. I believe this again has to do with not taking pride in their work. I believe this is due to finding the work difficult, where checking over the work is also difficult. I also believe that, again, many students don't know why they're doing the task. For example, if it's writing a paragraph for the teacher, they may not put much effort in. If they're told the pieces will be on display for an open house, then they may have more of a buy-in, thereby putting more effort in and having more attention to detail.