The goal of education ought to be the development of dispositions, attitudes, or inclinations that are characteristic of intelligently behaving human beings.
In teaching we are interested not only in what students know but also in how students behave when they don't know - to be able to use what they learn, to solve all kinds of problems - new and old. Costa calls the acquisition of these intelligent behaviours 'future proofing'! Researchers have identified characteristics of successful people from all walks of life. If students were to become aware of these characteristics then these intelligences could become a shared language of thinking linking all subject barriers.

The list below is not a definitive list but it provides a useful guide for teachers.

1. Persistence
   Stickability - being 'I can do' kids. This quality is seen to be developing when, students think through tasks, consider alternative strategies, and when they break tasks into steps. Perseverance is a key trait of all successful people. Too many students have come to think that first finished is best; they need to learn to appreciate the value of quality, of slowing the pace of their work and to aim for their personal best.
   
   
2. Stopping and thinking (decreasing impulsively), being reflective
   Intelligent people think before they act. They often visualise what they want before they start. They form a plan of action, a goal, before they begin. They just don't rush in, nor do the first thing that comes into their mind. You can see students becoming less impulsive when they think before they act.
   
   
3. Listening to others with understanding and empathy
   Many consider this to be the highest form of intelligence. Students who have this attribute do not put down or ridicule others. Teachers need to encourage students to be sensitive to others feelings and to learn to be aware of such things as other's body language. Students with empathy can action active listening, can paraphrase what others say in conversations and are able to take on board ideas from others. They are skilled at helping include others not involved in tasks to join in.
   
   
4. Co-operative thinking - social intelligence
   Getting on well with people. This is the ability to think in concert with others. To be able to utilise other people's intelligences and be sensitive to others needs. These are valuable future attributes. Many of our students need help to develop such social skills if they are to take advantage of their learning.
   
   
5. Flexibility of thinking
   De Bono calls this lateral thinking. This is the ability to come up with alternative viewpoints. Too many students have developed a one 'right' way of doing things. Such students may have an obsession with certainty and correctness and with finding the 'correct' answer. These students need to be encouraged to consider other points of view and be helped to appreciate alternative courses of action.
   
   
6. Metacognition - awareness of ones own thinking
   Being aware of one's own thinking is a most important future attribute. Without metacognition students just do things without knowing why. Such students seldom plan ahead and often can't explain, or describe, the steps involved in tasks they are working on. Many of these students will possibly become failures because they do not have metacognition or explicit 'know-how'. Ways to help such students develop metacognitive skills are to get them to describe what goes on in their heads while they are thinking or doing a task, or to plan an action or goal before they start, or to list the steps, or work back after the task is completed to see if they can describe what they have done. It helps such students if they can observe others doing tasks or to for them to watch while you demonstrate or model a task.
   
   
7. Striving for accuracy and precision.
   Intelligent people have the need to communicate their ideas with a growing sense of accuracy. Many of our students are vague and imprecise about what they know and often feel little inclination to improve their work. Teachers need to encourage such students to check their own work, to review what they have done against criteria (preferably ones negotiate with them) and then to consider ways or set goals to improve.
   
   
8. A sense of humour
   People who behave intelligently can often see things from a humorous point of view. They appreciate a sense of fun and enjoy being verbally playful. Many students take learning too seriously and need to 'lighten up'. A sense of humour is based on making connections between not usually noticed by many other people. As such it is a creative activity.
   
   
9. Questioning and problem posing
   One of the distinguishing characteristics of intelligent people is the ability to find problems to solve and to ask questions. Students too often wait for others to present problems and to ask questions. Many are reluctant to ask questions at all. Teachers need to encourage students to ask and answer their own questions and to particularly become aware of asking questions that require depth of thought to solve.
   
   
10. Drawing on past knowledge and applying it to new situations
    The ultimate goal of education is for students to apply or transfer the learning they have gained in contexts other than in which it was learnt. Many students cannot do this. Often students do not see the connection between one day's maths lesson and the next. Intelligent people learn from experience and apply this learning in new situations. Teachers need to point out such connections to encourage this transfer. General problem solving strategies and dispositions (the 'intelligent behaviours' of this list) need to be seen as common language available for all learning situations. Integrated studies are one way to develop an awareness of such connections. Providing time for refection times at the beginning and end of each learning session is another way to drawing student's attention to connection between ideas.
    
    
11. Risk taking
    Intelligent people have an almost uncontrollable urge to go beyond established limits. They seem uneasy with the status quo and accept confusion, uncertainty and the risks of failure as normal. Many students are reluctant to 'have a go' for fear of being wrong. They are obsessed with the right answer. Teachers need to help such students develop their risk taking ability.
    
    
12. Using all the senses
    Students who have a keen sense of awareness are open to more information from their environment. Such students touch, taste, look for patterns and repeat experiences they enjoy. They are keen to try things out and learn through activity and experience. They are expert at collecting data, noting variables and making accurate observations. They enjoy role-play, illustrating, visualising and model their ideas. Many students need to be helped to develop such skills/talents. This relates well to the concept of multiple intelligences.
    
    
13. Ingenuity, originality, insightfulness and creativity
    Such students are happy to use their intuition, try different solutions to problems and examine alternative possibilities. They often start with a vision and work backwards. They are 'I can' people who are intrinsically motivated, working for the pure joy of it. They constantly try to improve their efforts. Students who do not have this facility say things like, 'I can't do it', and 'I'm not good at this'. Today we now believe, that with the right tasks and help, all people can do anything. This is a real challenge for teachers who have students who have lost the confidence and joy to learn.
    
    
14. Wonderment, inquisitiveness, curiosity and the enjoyment of problem solving - a sense of efficacy as a thinker.
    This is the joy of learning that people feel when they feel alive and alert. This is seen as a 'I can' attitude, or more an 'I enjoy' feeling. Such students are the true learners, completing tasks that attract them with passion and enthusiasm. Such a sense of wonder and joy of learning is a prerequisite for life long learning. Wonder and joy is the ultimate goal of education and the right of all learners.