Critical thinking in school needs to be nurtured

[nairiporter]

There was an interesting discussion about the attitude of kids in school (at a very early age, in this case 12-13) who, when seeing on TV the devastation and disaster happening elsewhere, react in a very inadequate way - they snicker and make silly jokes about it. And that made me thinking.

It would be interesting and educating if the teacher makes a discussion with them about it in class. Talk together with them about what causes this attitude in people in the face of great pain and suffering of other people. Probably we could entitle the lesson "The death of empathy" or something like that.

I think this is mostly about the desire and readiness of the teacher to organize their class in a way that would allow them to do such talks stimulating critical thinking. I usually use at least 10 minutes at the end of the class and meanwhile while giving the lesson I try to ask as many questions of the "What do you think about this?" type as possible. It is a matter of attitude to the teaching process. But of course it is easy to say that when I am an elementary school teacher. :-)

Besides, the parents are the main factor for the formation of the kids' mentality. People who claim the teachers in school are entirely responsible for the success or failure of kids becoming "good persons", whatever that means, are missing the bigger picture. We meet those kids at age 7 for the first time, when they are already formed individualities. What we can do is to do our best to develop them.

In the place where I teach (elementary school in the southern suburbs of Cape Town), many of the kids don't have TVs. They have a slightly different attitude to real/unreal than their counterparts in the west, but yes, on the other hand it is true that at that age it is difficult to feel empathy the way an adult does. And again, this boils down to the family and their environment with their peers.

Comments

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

Now you will be dogpiled by all the public school detractors. But... but... standardized testing!

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Families that want to put the bulk of responsibility of the child's behavior and results in general on the teacher bug the hell out of me. I've just heard so much from my own teaching days and from being married to one.

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

You are a family of teachers? Hello from another family of teachers! :-)

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Hello! Although I am technically not a teacher, though I did teach a lot during a period of my undergrad years. I'm married to one though, and friends with many teachers! :)

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

We are a strange tribe, aren't we?

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

Most teachers are a great bunch, except for the kind that took the profession because they didn't know what else to do. (an unfortunate category which does exist)

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

I know some of those... :-(

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Good idea about doing a discussion about this with the kids in class. Maybe do it like a game. At the age which you are teaching it would work better than just sit and make them talk about things they probably don't understand.

Do it on your next class and report back!

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

i wonder if the concept of critical thinking is harder to teach to children of a) urban settings OR b) rural settings?

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

I haven't noticed a difference, but an interesting question to investigate.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

very much so. i predict one group will have much ease in breaking into a dialogue. the remaining group will have more ease with empathizing but perhaps a more difficult time discussing.