Teaching (and Allowing) Students to Think

Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

This month's Educational Leadership deals completely with teaching our students to think. This may seem like a daunting task, but it isn't completely impossible. Our students came to us with the innate ability to think. No one had to teach that to them—they were born thinking and questioning constantly. But do they come to us thinking critically, skillfully, and creatively? Most often, they do not. As teachers, we need to help them hone their thinking skills so that they continue to confront the world around them with questions, know how to arm themselves with data, explore various alternatives, and even predict consequences of their actions.

But how? Skillful thinking is something that must be polished, refined. One way that we can help our students learn to think is by bringing our own cognition into the open. By bringing our thinking practices out to be analyzed by others, students can emulate them and therefore become more mature thinkers on their own.

During class, use the terminology in context. Label and identify your own cognitive strategies and instruct students using that terminology, i.e. “I can infer that…”. You can also use thinking maps, graphic organizers, and other visual tools to help students break down the steps of a seemingly daunting task. As a teacher, model problem solving, decision making, and investigating. Continue to be a learner yourself so that your own thinking does not grow stagnant.

What is probably the easiest and quickest way to get students to start thinking on their own? Give them time. Yes, you may have to wait a little bit. They know that you don’t like dead silence and that you will tell them the answer if they sit still enough. Break that habit today. Wait, repeat the question, and give them time to think about it.