Three Questions to Get Your Class Thinking

Just like any teacher, your passion is helping your students to learn and prepare for their future. Part of that responsibility is teaching students how to become life-long learners. Using metacognitive strategies in your classroom can help to bring out the inner teacher in your students.

Teach Metacognitive Strategies

For students to truly be in charge of their own learning, they need to take the time to stop and think about the task at hand. Encouraging your students to think in this way will help them monitor how well they are grasping new information.

Get your students thinking about how they learn best. As students work independently, ask them to periodically consider the following three questions:

1.  Do I understand what I just read?

2.  How does what I just read relate to my life and current understanding of the world?

3.  How can I apply what I just learned?

Do I Understand What I Just Read?

If the answer is “no,” give your students the following options.

Read the text/content again while paying full attention.

Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary.

Pause and think about the concepts they just read.

If your students still do not understand, encourage them to make a note with questions to ask a teacher or an adult later.

Relate Content to Life

Explain to your students that they can remember information better if they relate it to their lives and how they understand the world.

After reading a section of new information, tell them to think about how it relates to something they already know. For example, reading about animal camouflage patterns in science may relate to the deer they see in their backyard. The battle they are learning about in social studies could relate to their favorite video game.

Apply New Knowledge

Encourage your students to apply their knowledge. Explain that when they think about how they can use new information, they will be able to recall it later when they need it.

Help your students to brainstorm ideas about ways they can apply new concepts. For example, if they are learning about units of measurement, use baking as way of helping them to apply the concepts in a practical way.

Once your students get into the habit of using metacognitive strategies, you may be surprised by the level of engagement you see in your class. For more educational content, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog.

Danyelle Roadman is an art teacher at Lincoln Learning Solutions and has been teaching art online for more than three years. She has also assisted in the development of Lincoln Learning Solutions’ art courses. In her spare time, Danyelle enjoys traveling, writing, reading, and creating her own artwork.