Teachers are humans with expectations to galvanize details of their experiences in recognizing the importance of critical thinking even as necessity to the development and growth of the human society, beginning with the human mind. As individuals, we are entrusted with the sole responsibility of being predisposed to appropriateness and sanity.
As elucidated before, the ability to critically analyze situation is germane to the smooth administration of the school. This however causes ripple effect, if properly inculcated into learners, that enables them to lead their lives in such a way that glorifies the future of their own environment including the whole community of men.
Moreover, critical thinking can be fairly linked to logic. Thus, it is the science of deducting valid inferences or logical truths. It studies how conclusions follow from premises independent of their topic and content which at the end of the day provide valid answers without responsibly dehumanizing anyone.
Having stressed the benefits that critical thinking holds out, there is the urgent need for us to start highlighting, also, the onus which falls on teachers’ professionalism in relation to critical thinking. As a teacher, you are expected to be able to reflect faster than your students, or else those little learners might just leave you hanging by outsmarting the hell out of you when you least expect it.
It is time therefore we looked into the importance of critical thinking for teachers:
Sharpens Language and Presentation Skills
In order to best express ourselves, we need to know how to think clearly and systematically — meaning practice critical thinking! Critical thinking also means knowing how to break down texts, and in turn, improve our ability to comprehend.
It Strips Teachers of Assumptions
When an issue comes up in the workplace, a common reaction is to assume that it falls into a predetermined category. Critical thinking does not make any assumptions, and using the process of critical thinking in the workplace removes the temptation to immediately classify every issue under something that has happened in the past. It forces employees and managers to look beyond conventional solutions and look for new ideas that can help to efficiently address problems.
Enhances Problem Solving Skills
Those with critical thinking skills tend to solve problems as part of their natural instinct. Critical thinkers are patient and committed to solving the problem, similar to Albert Einstein, one of the best critical thinking examples, who said “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Critical thinkers’ enhanced problem-solving skills makes them better at their jobs and better at solving the world’s biggest problems. Like Einstein, they have the potential to literally change the world.
Improves Relationships
It of course chisels the relationship between the student and the teacher sharp. While you may be convinced that being a critical thinker is bound to cause you problems in relationships, this really couldn’t be less true! Being a critical thinker can allow you to better understand the perspective of others, and can help you become more open-minded towards different views.
Read Also: Benefits of Critical Thinking in Education
It Helps Define Career Path More Clearly
Critical thinking is crucial for many career paths including teachers’. Not just for scientists, but lawyers, doctors, reporters, engineers, accountants, and analysts (among many others) all have to use critical thinking in their positions.
In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking is one of the most desirable skills to have in the workforce, as it helps analyze information, think outside the box, solve problems with innovative solutions, and plan systematically.
It Strengthens Teachers’ Intelligence
Over one hundred years of research on intelligence testing has shown that scores on standardized tests of intelligence predict a wide range of outcomes, but even the strongest advocates of intelligence testing agree that IQ scores leave a large portion of the variance unexplained when predicting real-life behaviors. Critical thinking ability had a greater association with real life decisions, and it added significantly to explained variance, beyond what was accounted for by intelligence alone.
Promotes Creativity
By practicing critical thinking, the teacher is bracing himself up for a creative tour on the inside. He certainly is training his mind the nitty-gritty of creativity and creative talents in the classroom. We are allowing ourselves not only to solve problems but also to come up with new and creative ideas to do so. Critical thinking allows us to analyze these ideas and adjust them accordingly.
