Professional Development
“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass like abundant rain on tender plants.” Deut. 32:3

Resolved: To Be a Better Teacher Leader
(Teacher Magazine, January 3, 2007)

Encourage Students to Think Critically

Help your students develop their critical thinking skills by teaching them to observe, explain and make predictions. To make sure your students are thinking and not merely learning by rote, here are some sample things you can do:

  • Ask students to summarize what others have said.
  • Have students expand on the ideas of others by sharing their own thoughts about their ideas.
  • Challenge students to relate what they have learned to some of their own experiences.
  • Help students make connections between related concepts and ideas.
  • Use cooperative learning and group interaction to encourage the sharing of ideas.

Learning to think critically means learning to take risks. It is important to establish a classroom climate where students feel comfortable and safe. Be warm and encouraging and let your students know that you hold high expectations for them.

"Critical Thinking is a lot harder than people think, because it requires knowledge." - Joanne Jacobs

Source: Paradise Valley Unified School District No. 69
Professional Staff Development: Volume VII, Issue IV
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