The “Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing,” developed by the Council of Writing Program Administrators, by the National Council of Teachers of English, and by the National Writing Project, identifies the orientation towards education that students need to embrace in order to succeed in college and beyond. Informed by current writing-studies scholarship, this document encourages eight habits of mind that should be cultivated for success in college writing and writing beyond the university. These habits of mind are reinforced in your first-year writing courses, and so you should leave your first-year writing studies equipped to address the kinds of writings you will encounter as a student and as a professional.

8 Habits of Mind Curiosity – the desire to know more about the world. Openness – the willingness to consider new ways of being and thinking about the world. Engagement – a sense of investment and involvement in learning. Creativity – the ability to use novel approaches for generating, investigating, and representing ideas. Persistence – the ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects. Responsibility – the ability to take ownership of one’s actions and understand the consequences of those actions for oneself and others. Flexibility – the ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands. Metacognition – the ability to reflect on one’s own thinking as well as on the individual and cultural processes used to structure knowledge.

 

For more information, please click on the link to access a PDF of the full document from the National Writing Project: Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing.