The document outlines 9 strategies for developing critical thinking skills: 1) Turn downtime into think time by reflecting on your day. 2) Take problems one at a time with a specific strategy. 3) Focus on intellectual standards like clarity and precision. 4) Keep an intellectual journal to log experiences. 5) Look within to develop traits like perseverance. 6) Challenge your own views and perspectives. 7) Get in touch with your emotions and analyze them. 8) Analyze group influences on your thoughts and actions. 9) Practice these strategies daily to continuously learn and improve critical thinking.
2. THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
OBJECTIVE: LEARN THE STEPS NEEDED TO DEVELOP
YOURSELF AS A CRITICAL THINKER
The stages of critical thinkers
9 strategies to develop your critical thinking skills
1. Turning Downtime into ThinkTime.
2. One Problem at a Time.
3. Focus on Intellectual Standards.
4. Keep An Intellectual Journal.
5. Look Within.
6. “You’re so Vain”
7. Redefine the Way You See Things.
8. Get in touch with your emotions.
9. Analyze group influences on your life
3. STAGES OF CRITICAL THINKING
Before we begin to attempt to develop ourselves as
critical thinkers, we must understand the stages of
development.
Stage 1: The Unreflective Thinker
Unaware of significant problems within our thinking
Stage 2: The Challenged Thinker
We become aware of the problems in our thinking
Stage 3: The Beginning thinker
We try to improve, but without regular practice
Stage 4: The Practicing thinker
We recognize the necessity of thinking
Stage 5: The Advanced thinker
We advance in accordance with our practice
Stage 6: The Master Thinker
Skilled and insightful thinking becomes second nature
4. TURNING DOWNTIME INTO THINKTIME
How much time did you waste today?
Time spent watching the Kardashians?
Time spent in your car in traffic?
Time spent on Facebook?
Turn that downtime (when your brain isn’t bwing
used to its full potential into think time.
Reflect on your day
What did you accomplish today?
Is there anything you would have done differently?
Is what I did today going to impact my life or the world
positively?
Spend this think time to develop what your thoughts
consist of to hone in your skills
5. ONE PROBLEM AT TIME
Take your problems one step, one day at a time.
Each morning, choose a specific problem to tackle.
Be specific as possible.
The more specific, the more likely you are to solve the
problem
What information do you need to solve this problem?
Draw as many reasonable solutions to your problem as
possible.
What actions can you take to solve your problem?
Develop a strategy and follow the strategy to solve your
problem.
Be flexible
Your first solution might not be the best. Be ready to change
your strategy if needed.
6. INTELLECTUAL STANDARDS
Each week choose and develop an
intellectual standard
Focus on a standard such as
clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, br
eadth, logicalness, significance
State what you are saying
Elaborate
Give examples
Use Analogies
7. KEEP AN INTELLECTUAL JOURNAL
Each week write down your experiences
Use a specific format
1. Situation
1. Describe a situation that was significant to you
2. Your Response
1. How did you react to the situation
2. Be specific as possible
3. Assessment
1. How do you feel you reacted to the situation and was your
response reasonable?
8. LOOK WITHIN
Choose an intellectual trait such as intellectual
perseverance, autonomy, empathy, courage,
humility, etc to develop each month.
Don’t allow your intellectual intelligence keep you
from learning.
YOU’RE SO VAIN
Thinking Egocentrically can hamper your ability to
learn and develop your critical thinking skills
Know that you don’t know everything
Strive to grow from your mistakes
9. REDEFINE THE WAY YOU SEE THINGS
Your particular view on situations is the only one
and it very often isn’t the only right one.
A new perspective can teach you a new way to
tackle a problem.
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR EMOTIONS
If you feel negative emotion, find the root of the
emotion and ask yourself if it is reasonable.
How would others feel about the same situation?
10. ANALYZE GROUP INFLUENCES ON YOUR LIFE
What does your group of friends feel about your
actions or feelings?
How do your group’s actions reflect upon yourself?
How does this pressure affect you every day?
11. CONCLUSION
Remember, each day is a new day, and new
opportunity to better yourself and the world.
You can never stop learning
You wont always be right; but when you accept you
are wrong, you learn the most
Integrate each strategy everyday and do so with the
intent to learn the most each day
Use your emotions to your advantage and develop
a passion through them