Picture this: Your brightest student, the one who aces every test, sits frozen when asked to design a solution for reducing food waste in the cafeteria. They know their content areas well—reciting facts about nutrition and waste effortlessly—but can’t connect the dots, question assumptions, or propose creative alternatives. They’re missing the critical, deep thinking they need to be successful.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not failing as a teacher.
This is part one of a two-part blog series. Keep an eye out for the second installment, which includes a study guide for the referenced text!
The Problem We Don’t Talk About
Here’s what I’ve been noticing more and more: We’ve become very good at teaching students to be intellectual parrots. They can repeat information accurately, but when you ask them to think critically about that information, the room goes quiet.
The good news? Garfield Gini-Newman and Roland Case tackled this exact problem back in 2018 with “Creating Thinking Classrooms: Leading Educational Change for This Century.” I just discovered this when a presenter at the TCEA AI for Educators conference referenced it, and it’s exactly what so many of us have been looking for. The approach doesn’t require you to throw out everything you know about teaching.
The Three-Shift Solution That Works
Shift 1: Reorient Your Teaching Lens
From information delivery to thinking facilitation
Instead of asking “Did they get the right answer?” start asking “How are they thinking about this problem?”
This shift changes everything about classroom dynamics. When we focus on right answers, students learn to ask “What does the teacher want?” When we focus on thinking processes, they ask “What do I think and why?”
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
Math class: Instead of “What’s 15% of 240?” try “Show me how you figured out 15% of 240. What if it were 15% of 238—how would your approach change?” You might discover one student visualizes it as money (15 cents per dollar), another uses the decimal method, and a third breaks it into chunks (10% + 5%). All arrive at the same answer, but now you understand their thinking patterns.
History class: Instead of “What caused World War I?” ask “Walk me through how you’re weighing these different factors. Which do you think was most significant and why?” Now you see how they analyze cause and effect, prioritize evidence, and construct arguments.
Science class: Instead of “What happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar?” try “What are you noticing? What do you think is happening here? What makes you think that?” You discover their observation skills, hypothesis formation, and reasoning patterns.
Try this tomorrow: Replace your next “What happened in 1865?” with “Why do you think this event was a turning point?” Watch how the energy in your room changes.
Shift 2: Refocus Your Goals
From shallow wins to deep understanding
We’ve been celebrating the wrong victories. Getting 30 kids to memorize the same facts isn’t success—it’s efficient storage. Real success is watching a student connect historical patterns to current events without being prompted.
The progression that matters:
- Knowledge → Understanding
- Skills → Real-world competence
- Good attitudes → Genuine commitment
Reality check: When was the last time your students surprised you with their thinking? If you can’t remember, it’s time to refocus.
Shift 3: Realign Your Daily Practice
Five principles that transform classrooms
Once you’ve shifted your mindset and refocused your goals, the rubber meets the road in your daily classroom practices. These five principles aren’t about adding more to your plate—they’re about doing what you’re already doing, but with thinking at the center.
- Engage Students with questions that matter. Replace “What is photosynthesis?” with “Why don’t plants grow in my basement?”
- Sustain Inquiry beyond single lessons. Turn units into mysteries students want to solve.
- Nurture Self-Regulated Learners. Teach thinking vocabulary: “I’m questioning…” “My evidence suggests…” “I wonder if…”
- Create Assessment-Rich Learning. Make feedback so frequent and specific that grades become less important.
- Enhance Learning Through Digital Tools. Use technology to amplify thinking, not replace it.
This post was inspired by “Creating Thinking Classrooms: Leading Educational Change for This Century” by Garfield Gini-Newman & Roland Case (Corwin, 2018). You can find the book through your local library, bookstore, or online retailers. Ready to transform your classroom? Grab the book and use the study guide (coming soon in part two) as your roadmap.
