How to Think, Not What to Think

by Deana Kolan

“Mine, Mine, Mine,” my students flock around me like the seagulls in Finding Nemo. Drowning in students desperate for feedback,  I realized that I set up my class to tell students what to think, but I had to wonder, am I teaching students how to think?  I realized that I had a “what to think” classroom when I saw these tall tale signs.

• Students flocked to me for answer validation.
• Students asked, “is this right,” or “do you agree”

After I reached this conclusion, I spent months researching the explicit teaching of thinking.  I found a wealth of information, but these are the top three techniques that I have adapted for my classroom.

Be Mindful of Absent-minded Validations 

I did not realize how many validations I doled out in a class period, until I tried to control giving out validations. We were in the middle of a Fishbowl discussion. The students wrote questions, and as I went to pose the questions to inner circle, I found myself saying, “Oh this is a great question!” I was trying to shift the focus and have the students analyze the effectiveness of the student-generated questions based on the conversation that the questions generated, but my constant analysis made it impossible for them to have that moment. I realized that I do this all day long by saying things like “Great response!” In an active attempt to shift to a “how to think” classroom, I learned it was more powerful to ask groups, “Is this a great response?” I created a teamwork discussion flowchart to help students have conversations about the validity of their answers.

Encourage Questioning the System

I love efficient systems. Everyday I think about how to do things faster and/or more efficient, from passing out assignments to streamlining transitions. I realized that if I ask the students for strategies to streamline the classroom procedures a whole new level of engagement develops.  Collecting these student responses, I created an anchor chart in the classroom that celebrates student contributions. Students are more engaged in the learning process, and they are preparing to enter the workforce with a “see a problem, solve a problem” mindset.

Explicitly Teach Thinking 

The brain is a muscle. When I lift weights, it helps if the instructor tells me which muscle group I’m working. I realized that this is true for the students. When they think deeply, they need to know that it is a deep thought. Likewise, when they are looking at things from a surface level they need to know that they can push their brains just like they can push any other muscle in their body to perform. I developed a system called Puddle vs. Ocean. I tell the students to start with a puddle thought. Then we build it into an Ocean thought through collaboration and active thinking engagement. I created this anchor chart to help students distinguish between Puddle and Ocean thoughts.
Not only do we use the Puddle vs. Ocean anchor chart, we also use a wall display to help the students relate the learning intention to the depth of thinking required for the lesson. These visual aides and explicit instruction help the students take ownership of the thinking process.

Favorite Resources on the Topic

Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dluwVks444