Intelligent behavior is the ability to make the most appropriate, beneficial, and balanced decisions by using logic, knowledge, and past experience to achieve one’s goals. It refers to the process of adapting to one’s environment by weighing long-term consequences rather than acting on immediate impulses.[1]
One of the best ways to gather evidence of student development and measure student success is to observe them. As students interact with real life and everyday problems at school, at home, on the playground, when they are alone, and when they are with friends, they demonstrate the development of their intelligence. A child’s test scores alone are not enough to truly understand them. It is necessary to gather examples of the child’s spontaneous, natural behaviors and the ways they express themselves through written and visual means.
In this regard, it can be said that there are sixteen fundamental qualities that enable children to exhibit intelligent behavior and allow for the observation and documentation of their intellectual development. These qualities can be listed as follows:;[2]
-Determination.
-Reduce impulsivity.
-Listening to others with empathy and understanding.
-Flexibility in thinking.
-Metacognition.
-Striving for accuracy and completeness.
-Asking questions and posing inquiries.
-Relying on past knowledge and experience.
-Creativity, innovation, originality.
-The integrity of language and thought.
-Collecting data through all the senses.
-Show a sense of humor.
-Surprise, asking a lot of questions, and curiosity.
-Collaborative thinking.
-Take calculated risks.
-Continuous learning.
Instilling these qualities in students, observing how they become ingrained in their behavior over time, and noting how these behaviors are demonstrated in every area is crucial for students’ intellectual development.