Critical thinking skills is a must have in middle and high school curriculum.
With students being so accustomed to being told what to do it has left students graduating from high school not knowing how to go through the process of making judgments or effectively thinking through a problem.
Sometimes with students you will find that they blurt out answers without taking the necessary behind the scenes methods to actually solve the answer.
The old adage "think before you say it" is true and is a necessary skill that must rise up in classrooms across the nation.
What is the actual behind the scene process that must take place for a person to actually think before they say it? Lets use a classroom example: When a teacher asks his or her class a question they are expecting the student to raise their hand and wait to be called upon to answer.
The first thing the student must do is listen to the question the teacher is asking.
Second the student must know the answer.
If the student is in doubt on fully knowing the answer he or she must solve the problem.
Thirdly once the student feels he or she has the answer they must raise their hand and wait to be called upon.
There are also a few other processing steps the student will take himself through which are the classroom rules and regulations.
One of the rules in a classroom is to raise your hand if you have a question and are answering questions.
Teaching students to be Effective, Necessary, Accurate, Timely, and Appropriate when answering questions or communicating as a whole will instill in the student confidence and the discipline need not to blurt out answers.
Being effective simply means the students has an intent on a desired result which is answering the question and knowing the question in the even they are not called upon.
Being necessary means the student has obligated themselves to solving the problem and it is imperative they gain a good understanding of the overall course.
Being timely means students understand there is a time frame in which the teacher wants the answer communicated.
Being appropriate means students must give the appropriate answer that goes with the appropriate topic that is being discussed Now this process happens in seconds however the student must be equipped to go through this process rather quickly in order for them to raise their hands and wait to be called upon for the answer.
This really sounds simple in nature however "thinking before you say it" helps students with processing information and it also helps with effective communication.