Research into the lives of successful people - athletes, musicians, engineers, artists, etc. - has shown that they have certain things in common about they ways they use their minds.

Why do we ask questions?

To understand
To help others understand
To satisfy curiosity
To test someone’s knowledge
To express agreement or disapproval
To make a statement

Are there other reasons?

Stick to it! Persevering in task through to completion; remaining focused. Looking for ways to reach your goal when stuck. Not giving up. In this lesson we explore the idea of persistence. 

Check it again! Always doing your best. Setting high standards. Checking and finding ways to improve constantly. Be clear! Strive for accurate communication in both written and oral form; avoiding over generalizations, distortions, deletions and exaggerations.

Students need to feel okay about taking a chance. Risk takers want to go past the limit. They want to live on the edge, try new things and see what will happen. They see confusion and uncertainty as interesting. They accept failure as a necessary part of learning. Their actions are not thoughtless. They are mindful (thanks to past knowledge) of the risks and the consequences of their actions and act appropriately.  Without risk takers we would have had no great explorers, pioneers or inventors. Risks can be physical, intellectual, social, at work or play. 

An amazing discovery about the human brain is its plasticity—its ability to "rewire," change, and even repair itself to become smarter. Flexible people have the most control. They have the capacity to change their minds as they receive additional data.

Beyond the fact that laughing is enjoyable, it may have medicinal value as well. Laughing, scientists have discovered, has positive effects on physiological functions: blood vessels relax, stress hormones disperse, and the immune system gets a boost, including a drop in the pulse rate. Laughter produces secretion of endorphins and increased oxygen in the blood. Humor has been found to have psychological benefits as well. 

Some students may not have learned to work in groups; they have underdeveloped social skills. They feel isolated, and they prefer solitude. They say things like "Leave me alone—I'll do it by myself," "They just don't like me," or "I want to be alone." Some students seem unable to contribute to group work and are job hogs; conversely, other students let all the others in a group do all the work.

In a world that moves at warp speed, there is more to know today than ever before, and the challenge of knowing more and more in every succeeding day, week, month, and year ahead will only continue to expand exponentially. The quest for meaningful knowledge is critical and never ending.  Intelligent people are in a continuous learning mode. They are invigorated by the quest of lifelong learning.