That Something Called THINKING Lacking in Our Schools

One of the basic objectives underlying our American educational system, whether it is stated or not, is the task of teaching students to think-to think critically and independently-for themselves.

Educators have rendered, to various degrees, lip service to this most fundamental goal of education. However, there has been little in the way of action in providing classroom experiences in critical thinking as a life's skill. Unfortunately, teachers are still prone to ask "Who killed Cock Robin?" because they are all too often hamstrung by standardized testing requirements.

Most of you, at one time or another, have heard about the "thinking man's filter." American shops, businesses, and offices have been plastered with the THINK signs. Such signs have crept into teachers' lounges, principals' offices, and even classrooms. At first glance, it appears to be an amusing commentary. Yet, it proffers a not so funny set of consequences. Of course, teachers can simply issue a command for their students to think and then sit back and through some wondrous magic, their students will be transformed into critical thinkers. The days of fairy godmothers and good witches are not a part of this very real, practical, and necessity driven world.

The reliance upon the "authority" of the talking-heads of television commentary, of the emotion-laden language of social media of the Internet demonstrates the need for critical thinking. It's a sad time. False news and or alternative news strongly indicates a reliance by the public is fast becoming a dangerous habit-one we can ill afford if we are to continue an intelligent based free society. We have become dependent on others' thinking. Some years ago I saw a cartoon which illustrates the point. As the story line went, a man and a woman exited a theatre One outside, the man asked the woman what she thought about the play Her reply, "I won't know until I've read the critics in tomorrow's paper." Far too often we now rely upon what someone else says or thinks. What may be even worse, educators force their students to rely on what they think or what a textbook says as being the authority.

Even though educators at all levels are confronted by the dragon, standardized testing at a cost of nearly two billion dollars per year, they are missing the boat by not taking into their classrooms the processes involved in critical thinking. Such processes can be learned only by doing and this demands an entirely different perspective of teaching and learning modalities. The teacher and textbooks must be more than a mere communicator of ideas, a transmitter of answers. An earthquake of change in teaching philosophy and methodology needs to be a national mandate. Educators can no longer hold center stage: They must now function as guides to avenues of thinking, as inquisitionists.

American educators must change their approach to teaching more than ever before in our history. It becomes critical in view of today's high pressure salesmanship, gaudy television commercials, clever catch phrases played over and over on the radio, the massive pressures plied via the world wide web. Such complexity is often confusing social, political, and economic issues playing the national and world scene. This complexity mandates a citizenry capable of independent and critical thinking. If such a citizenry is not developed our democratic system fails.

Even though the prefrontal cortex does not reach full development until around age 25, that fact does not exclude modern educators from beginning the teaching of critical thinking as early as fifth grade. Since the onset of puberty begins earlier than it did a couple of decades ago, It might even be better to begin earlier with developmental skills in critical thinking.

Dr. Wilson has a forty year career in education. He is the author of DUH! The American Educational Disaster.


 By Norman W. Wilson, Ph.D


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