Critical Thinking is Critical

You may have heard Mrs. Minaker and I use the term “critical thinking” from time to time.  Improving your critical thinking skills is actually one of our goals for this school year. 

Critical thinking is what you do when you take all the stuff you’ve learned, roll it all together and think through a question or problem. 

One definition of critical thinking says:

Critical thinking involves problem solving, decision making, rationality, rational thinking, reasoning, knowledge, intelligence and also a moral component such as reflective thinking. Critical thinkers, therefore, need to have reached a level of maturity in their development, possess a certain attitude as well as a set of taught skills.

At this point, you’re not very good at critical thinking. 

It’s not your fault. You’re young, you’re just learning how to think about things in an analytical way. For the past five to seven years, you’ve been asked to regurgitate information that you have learned. You are very good at that. 

But, in the coming years you’re going to be asked to do less remembering of facts and more interpreting of what those facts mean.

That’s why we do so many word problems in Math. That’s why Mrs. Minaker is always asking you about why characters do what they do in stories or what you would do in their place. We're trying to get you thinking.

We keep telling you, as you scale the educational mountain it gets harder. Going forward you’re going to be asked to do the hardest thing...think.

Better strap on your crampons and thinking caps, you’re gonna need both.