How Do You Teach Critical Thinking Skills?
You can instill critical thinking skills in your students by encouraging them to apply their knowledge, question what they read and look behind the surface message of media. You can teach critical thinking skills within any subject matter. Rearrange the classroom if possible so all students can see each other and the teacher at the same time. A circle of desks or clusters of larger tables encourages students to see themselves as active participants and removes the image of the teacher as simply giving them all of the information. Encourage students to participate in all aspects of class by posing questions that require thought. If students aren’t able to answer a question, have them meet in small groups to discuss the question. Then have groups share their answers with the class. Post important critical thinking questions in the classroom to remind students of the questions they should ponder. You may also want to post steps for answering questions. For example, one such question might
