Thinking on My Own?

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What has the challenge of being forced to answer most of their own questions asked in my class actually been like for my students? What are my students feeling? What are they learning? Is their confidence changing? Is their problem solving skills improving?

Reflecting on one’s progress in life to make themselves a better person, internally and externally, is vital to keep making positive changes.

A recent set of reflection journal questions were posed to cause students to evaluate this process of learning to think on their own, to answer their own questions. Not only do the students reflect on their progress, but these types of questions offer me feedback. Using this feedback is important as the teacher to see what needs to be adjusted, clarified, or reinforced. It is a two way street for learning about ourselves.

The questions were:

1. How do you feel when I tell you that you are asking me a question that you can answer yourself?
2. What are you learning when I do this?
3. Do you think you will become more confident in your abilities to solve problems on your own?

I would like to share some of my students’ thoughts.

The following are responses to the first question.

Student A: “I feel good because you won’t always have someone around you to ask questions so we will have to learn to answer our own questions.”

Student B: “I feel smart because I can answer it on my own.”

Student C: “I had the answer right in front of me, all I had to do was to take my time and find it, figure it out!’

Student D: “I feel that I’m not thinking before I ask, and not giving me a chance to answer the question.”

Student E: “I feel silly because if I thought about it, I could figure it out on my own.”

The following are responses to the second question.

Student A: “I learn that some questions you ask you don’t always need help finding the answer. You can answer your own question without anyone helping you.”

Student B: “I’m learning to answer my own questions because I am capable of doing it.”

Student C: “Try to answer it myself and I when I exhausted all strategies, ask a question.”

Student D: “I learn that we answer our own question. We will be able to be better growing up.”

The following are responses to the third question.

Student A: I will be more confident to solve my own problems. This means I will try harder to think my own questions over.”

Student B: “Yes, because if I practice this a lot I will sharpen my thinking skills.”

Student C: “Yes I will feel confident because I will answer my own questions.”

As always, I write back to each student. I reminded all of them that it is all right to ask questions, especially when you are learning something new. The lesson to be learned is to give themselves credit and a chance to figure out things that they are more than capable of.

Empowerment.

Intrinsically thinking.

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A Shift in Thinking, A Shift in Believing

Since my October 3rd post titled "Challenging Students to Think for Themselves," there has been a shift in my students' thinking. Making every effort to not answer any question a student asks me that he/she can answer his/herself, the students have been redirected a countless number of times since my post about this movement in my class. Some students have even come to the point where they start to ask me a question, but stop and answer their own question. Actually, it is more than answering their own question. It is that they are "THINKING," therefore they don't have a question to ask. This change is because they are starting to realize that if they give themselves a little time to think about what ever it is they are questioning, that they can actually figure it out on their own. As per many of my encouraging comments about the students believing in themselves, giving themselves a chance or even giving themselves credit, the students are now appearing to have a shift in believing. Believing in themselves and their own ability.

Challenging Students to Think for Themselves

Throughout any given school day, many students in my class ask questions that they could positively answer for themselves. It is apparent that many of them have always had others answer these kinds of questions right away without even giving the individual an opportunity to think for themselves. When my students ask me a question, I tell them to stop and evaluate what they are asking me. Then I ask them their question or a closely related one. They usually smile and answer their own questions. This encourages them to think on their own. I also let them know that since they can usually figure out the answer on their own, they are not giving themselves credit by asking someone else. They discount their ability to be a problem solver.

Every time I hear a student say, "That was easy," I correct them by suggesting that instead of saying "That was easy," they need to say "I am good at this/that." This encourages them to give themselves credit for being good at something instead of minimizing their ability. Also, when they say something is easy, they could discount someone else in the class because maybe other students are not good at it. Therefore, if they hear someone else say that was easy, then they will feel bad about themselves because if it is easy, why can't they do it? Even though we have only been in school for about 4 weeks, students are now encouraging other students to say, "I am good at this." This is nice to hear.

"Use your problem solving skills," is something I say often. Being accountable for their own learning is another topic for discussion in my class. When students are accountable for their own learning, they are encouraged to ask questions when they don't understand a new concept or idea. One of my mottos is to "Ask questions if you don't understand something." Motivating my students to also advocate for themselves is something else I try to do in my class. They should learn how to advocate for themselves to get the most out of their education.

With the internet, enabling parents, and a generation of people that rely on a quick answer, we must nurture a learning environment that indirectly forces students to think for themselves to maximize learning on an individual basis.

We need to foster a learning environment where our students "OWN IT." They need to internally own what they are learning, thinking, doing. It can't be the teachers, but the students must own whatever it is for true meaningful learning to occur. The way to do this is to force them to answer their own questions, stop allowing them to be day dreaming in the classroom about what they might be doing in the future or what they could be doing, and force them to acutally believe that they can do whatever it is. Now or in the future.