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Creating a Thinking Culture in the Classroom: 50 Teaching Strategies to Support

Blake Bell

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Published in Fifty Strategies To Boost Cognitive Engagement: Creating A Thinking Culture In The Classroom (50 Teaching Strategies To Support Cognitive Development)

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Creating a thinking culture in the classroom is essential for student learning. When students are engaged in critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, they are more likely to retain information, apply it to new situations, and develop the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Fifty Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement: Creating a Thinking Culture in the Classroom (50 Teaching Strategies to Support Cognitive Development)

by Rebecca Stobaugh

4.7 out of 5

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There are many things that teachers can do to foster a thinking culture in their classrooms. The following 50 teaching strategies provide a starting point for teachers who want to create a more engaging and intellectually stimulating learning environment for their students.

1. Ask open-ended questions

Open-ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no response. They require students to think critically about the topic at hand and to express their own opinions and ideas.

Some examples of open-ended questions include:

What are your thoughts on this topic?
What are the different perspectives on this issue?
How would you approach this problem?

2. Encourage students to ask questions

Students should feel comfortable asking questions in class. When students ask questions, it shows that they are engaged in the learning process and that they are thinking critically about the material.

Teachers can encourage students to ask questions by:

Creating a classroom environment where students feel safe to ask questions
Modeling the behavior of asking questions
Using questioning strategies to encourage student participation

3. Provide students with opportunities to share their ideas

Students need opportunities to share their ideas with their classmates. This allows them to develop their own thinking and to learn from the perspectives of others.

Some ways to provide students with opportunities to share their ideas include:

Class discussions
Group projects
Student presentations

4. Challenge students to think critically

Students need to be challenged to think critically about the material they are learning. This means asking them questions that require them to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.

Some ways to challenge students to think critically include:

Asking them to identify the main arguments in a text
Asking them to evaluate the evidence supporting a claim
Asking them to draw s from a set of data

5. Encourage students to take risks

Students need to feel comfortable taking risks in their thinking. This means allowing them to make mistakes and to try new things.

Some ways to encourage students to take risks include:

Creating a classroom environment where students feel safe to make mistakes
Praising students for taking risks
Providing students with opportunities to learn from their mistakes

6. Value diversity of thought

It is important to value diversity of thought in the classroom. This means respecting the different perspectives and opinions of students.

Some ways to value diversity of thought include:

Encouraging students to share their own perspectives
Listening to students without interrupting
Respecting students' different opinions

7. Create a collaborative learning environment

Collaborative learning is a teaching strategy that encourages students to work together to achieve a common goal. This can be a powerful way to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Some ways to create a collaborative learning environment include:

Assigning students to work in groups
Providing students with opportunities to share their ideas and work with each other
Creating a classroom environment where students feel comfortable helping each other

8. Use technology to support thinking

Technology can be a valuable tool for supporting thinking in the classroom. There are many different technologies that can be used to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.

Some ways to use technology to support thinking include:

Using online discussion boards to facilitate student collaboration
Using simulations and games to provide students with opportunities to practice critical thinking skills
Using digital tools to help students organize and present their ideas

9. Model critical thinking skills

One of the best ways to teach students critical thinking skills is to model them yourself. This means demonstrating critical thinking skills in your own teaching and interactions with students.

Some ways to model critical thinking skills include:

Asking yourself questions and thinking critically about the information you are teaching
Sharing your own thought processes with students
Providing students with feedback that helps them to develop their critical thinking skills

10. Provide students with feedback

Feedback is an essential part of the learning process. It helps students to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to make progress in their thinking.

Some ways to provide students with feedback include:

Providing written comments on student work
Giving students verbal feedback during class discussions
Using self-assessment tools to help students reflect on their own thinking

Creating a thinking culture in the classroom is essential for student learning. By using the teaching strategies described in this article, teachers can create a more engaging and intellectually stimulating learning environment for their students. This will help students to develop the critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Fifty Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement: Creating a Thinking Culture in the Classroom (50 Teaching Strategies to Support Cognitive Development)

by Rebecca Stobaugh

4.7 out of 5