Critical Thinking and Creativity
Guide Your Students Towards Success!
Critical Thinking
Think, ThInK, THINK! Our children need to learn to think critically about ideas great and small. Below are techniques that encourage students to think critically and problem solve.
Question
Not only should students know how to respond to questions, they must be taught how to create higher level thinking questions. Questioning is a natural skill that should be enhanced
Annotate
Writing while reading is essential to increasing comprehension and retention of information. The more students write about text, the higher the likelihood that they will be able to apply skills in other settings.
Brainstorm
Brainstorming ideas is a great strategy for students to work together. By working together to solve problems and discussing ideas, students can use critical thinking skills. Today's students communicate with students across the globe, and they must be prepared to brainstorm, communicate, and collaborate in order to be successful.
Fishbowl Discussion
One of the keys to critical thinking is discussing ideas with one another. Students who are encouraged to share their ideas with one another are empowered, and the feedback they receive from fishbowl discussions allow them to listen, discuss, and evaluate their ideas.
Socratic Seminars
Socratic Seminars encourage students to read texts, create questions and discuss information with their peers. Socratic Seminars are an engaging way for students to discuss ideas and think critically about the content area topics.
Problem Solving
"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."-Unknown
We encounter problems every day. We must learn how to solve them on our own, and decide when we need assistance. Teaching students how to solve problems is a skill that will travel with them through life.
Creativity
We often tell students to "think outside the box", but what we should teach is that there is no box. Teaching students to be creative and own their creative abilities can enhance the learning environment, and below are a few ways to encourage creativity in the classroom.
Allot Time
Time is of the essence, however, we should teach students how to manage time and allot them the time they need to be creative. Don't rush the creative process.
Be Positive!
Affirm student's successes and redirect their mistakes with kindness. Students need to know that they are on the right track and that we believe that they can be successful!
Encourage Mistakes
Students need to know that making mistakes is okay and a vital part of the learning process. Students who make mistakes can learn from their errors and take that knowledge into other areas.
Warmth in the Classroom
We learn best when we are comfortable. Create a classroom that welcomes students. Have a reading corner or soft chair where students can go to relax and enjoy learning.
Music
Play music in the classroom. Students today are accustomed to multitasking, and adding music to the environment adds an air of relaxation and allows many students to focus and express themselves creatively.
Show Your Creativity
Model your examples of creative assignments. Show students that it's okay to be creative by expressing yourself in the classroom.