One of the most difficult experiences for me as an educator have been when students chose to disengage or to halt their own process of learning. There can be many reasons why students choose this way, and most of those have little to do with the teacher. Nevertheless, it is truly disheartening to see a student you know has so much potential, cutting themselves short of higher levels of achievement and success. As I write this, I am thinking about one of my students, in particular, whom I knew to be a highly intelligent student with much potential. He actually told me, while he clearly knew what the expectations were, he was choosing not to meet those expectations and he was settling for a lesser level of achievement.
You may have had similar experiences although, depending on the age of your students, you may not have received such a clear articulation of the decision. Regardless, it remains a hugely disheartening experience for any teacher or educator who is focused on student success. So, yes, it may seem that higher level thinking skills are only for some students because some students may not be capable physiologically or some have chosen to disengage, I would encourage you as a teacher to never assume that on behalf of any of your students. Encourage every student to broaden their thinking and strengthen their thinking beyond the obvious and to include higher order thinking skills as much as possible.
The Association of American Colleges & Universities stated in 2013, among other information that:
Nearly all employers surveyed (93 percent) say that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidate’s] undergraduate major.”
Currently, employers still focus on the way in which candidates approach situations and problems, think through problems and approach others more than high-end training. Teachers, then, MUST focus on these skills in every student as they are prepared for current and future success.
TIP: Focus on the success of every student and develop them as high-level thinkers.
Coming up next, “Literacy development is for struggling students.” Stay tuned...