Changing Thoughts In the Classroom
It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You Think
Consider when you get on a line of thought, and what happens when you do. Some completely focus on the one line, to a point where that’s all there is to the process. For others that train of thought can derail from one topic to another, though there will still be relevancy towards the original topic. Of course, there are many other cases, a mix of the two or kinds not mentioned, but that’s all par for the course. Whatever may be the case, the brain tends to follow a trend, habits pop up and move on through those thoughts.
Because of this fact it can be hard to change the mind once it’s set, or consider other perspectives, as Zat Rana’s article points out. The issues becomes that it’s so incredibly important to be able to stretch beyond singular ideas, thoughts and ideals. To continue on learning, to keep stretching the brain and exercising healthy learning there must be a certain flexibility in the thought process, to be able to change with experience.
To get to the point, it’s something important for educators to understand that the brain can get stuck within a habitual cycle. Not only for the teachers themselves, to avoid being closed minded to the thoughts of their students, but for the students to be able to broaden their horizons and begin to change these thought habits. When in the classroom, it’s important to be considering why we think the way we do, and of asking how to change the thoughts to support learning in different ways. What makes someone think this way? How does it pertain to my thoughts on the subject? What can I do to come to an understanding with others on this subject? How should I change my thinking?
Self speculation is such an important thing to consider and learn in the classroom, and a skill that can be easily overlooked because, quite simply, it’s stagnated to a certain pattern that has likely remained mostly unchanged. Until it’s a topic placed under scrutiny, it can be all too easy to overlook. If placed within the spectrum of any of the Grand Challenges, I believe it would be placed within Understanding the American Experience, as taking the step to understand one’s self is to begin the process of being able to understand other’s experiences, of working towards the awareness of American life and what comes with it.
Considering my content area, secondary English, it stands to reason that students must be able to understand the experience of others as well as their own thoughts, especially in terms of biographies. Within the classroom, students are held to the core standards that they are able to properly show they understand through multiple mediums that they have a proper understanding of the texts they read or hear about. That said, understanding their own thought processes and habits will help them immensely, especially if they’re having trouble connecting to or understanding a particular reading.
Lastly, possibly because it’s a slightly shorter article, I think I would suggest Close Reading. There’s room for interpretation to be made, and the fact that it is short and sweet makes me think that it could be closely examined and related easily, making a person automatically draw from their own experiences to the article and what it seems the author, Zat Rana, wanted us to do. Sometimes less is more, and in this case I would heavily agree.
