School Philosophy

Habits of the Mind

How Do I Think Clearly and Critically?

In the September Home Bulletin Superintendent Chuck Pasma introduced the subject of our Learning Goals. Bellevue Christian's Plan for Renewal refers to this as our Common Focus. Effective schools have a Common Focus (or Learning Goals) which helps concentrate attention and focus energy in the classroom as well as in the board room. As we have worked toward articulating our Common Focus we have realized the power of asking the right questions. Thus, our Common Focus is taking the form of a series of Essential Questions.

Lowell Hagan continued our series in October with a discussion of the first of our six Common Focus attributes: Habits of the Heart. Our starting point is always with the heart, with the goal that teachers and students would develop the habit of asking, "How is Jesus Christ at the Center of my life and learning?"

This month we will consider the second attribute: Habits of the Mind. With Christ at the center, the next essential question that students and teachers learn to ask is, "How do I think clearly and critically?"

The Habits of the Mind are about discernment. "Our mission is to prepare young people... with the ability to understand, [and] evaluate...." Teachers know that it is essential for learners to go beyond knowledge and comprehension, and even beyond application to analysis, synthesis and finally to the highest cognitive domain of evaluation. One way to accomplish this is to learn to ask essential questions. We develop Habits of the Mind by asking questions about evidence, perspective, point of view, connections, supposition, and relevance. Here are some sample questions to illustrate what these categories mean.

How do I know that this information is reliable? The question about evidence has always been important, but it is vital in our digital age. Is the report accurate? How do I know if I can trust this source? Which reference, newspaper, book, or web site do I go to for reliable information? Is this email genuine or a hoax, legitimate or a scam? Some of our questions about evidence are smaller, others are of great importance. Students will ask big questions like, "How do I know that God's Word is trustworthy?"

Whose perspective does this represent? It is important for a reader of literature and history, for example, to distinguish whose perspective is being expressed. Who is the speaker? Are we hearing the voice of a voter or an elected official, a man or a woman, a former slave or former slave owner, a Palestinian or an Israeli, labor or management, an astronomer or an astrologer? Perspective does make a difference.

How does a belief system influence a point of view? When a person realizes that one's own beliefs shape how one views life and the world (see the worldview question in Habits of the Heart), the next step is to discern how others' belief systems influence their point of view. What does this scientist believe about the origins of the universe? How has this author's faith shaped her understanding of goodness, or justice, or ethics? What is that artist saying about truth and beauty? One denominational standard, the Larger Catechism, helps expose the most basic beliefs by asking, "What is the chief and highest end of man?"

How does one aspect of learning connect with other aspects? Real knowledge is not composed of fragmented, disconnected bits of information. God's world is not simply a collection of disassociated scientific facts. Creation is an integrated whole. It is interrelated and connected. For this reason the school curriculum ought to be filled with opportunity to make connections. How is Music related to Math and Reading? How is what I learned in Social Studies connected to what I learned in Bible? How is what I know connected to what I do?

How might things have been otherwise? Another valuable habit of the mind is to exercise the imagination and ask how history, or stories, or math problems might have different outcomes, endings or solutions. Supposition is a great way to get students, or scientists or politicians, for example, to reflect on the consequences of actions, hypotheses, or decisions. How did that work out? What else might have been tried? What if this person or group had acted or spoken differently at this juncture in history?

Why is this important? Our final habit of the mind is learning to decide what is important, and why it is important. How is this information, skill, news, or concept relevant to me? Why is the teacher spending time on this topic? Teachers may ask, "Am I helping my pupils see the relevance of this subject?" In our mission statement we claim to do what we do "...from the foundation of God's unchanging values." So perhaps our final essential question ought to be, "What does God value?"

Ultimately our goal is to develop our minds in a way that pleases and honors our Creator and Lord. As Kate B. Wilkinson, writer of the hymn, "May the Mind of Christ, My Savior" writes:

"May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say."