Thinking (and Talking about) thinking How do you think about thinking? Why is it important? Copyright © 2015 The Teacher Writing Center, a division of SG Consulting, Inc.  www.grammargallery.org

Warm-Up Look at the picture. What is this man doing? Copyright 2015

What do you think he is thinking about? Are there any clues? Discuss Response What do you think he is thinking about? Are there any clues?

Congratulations! You are the owner and operator of an amazing brain, but it didn’t come with an instruction manual. You need to figure out the way that YOUR brain works. That’s one reason it’s important to think about the way you think.

I notice I’m having trouble remembering which formula to use. Metacognition Educators sometimes use the term metacognition to describe the process of thinking about thinking. I notice I’m having trouble remembering which formula to use.

Why is metacognition important? Students who think about how they learn perform better on academic tasks. In other words, thinking about the way you think can help you do better in school and in the world of work.

How do you think about thinking? Visualize: When I saw the problem on the test, I could see my teacher at the board explaining what to do.

How do you think about thinking? Reflect: I noticed that I didn’t really understand what I was reading. I decided to stop at the end of a paragraph and write down the main idea.

How do you think about thinking? Use a Memory Device: I used the word “HOMES” to help me remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

How do you think about thinking? Consider: I thought, “This octagon reminds me of a stop sign.”

How do you think about thinking? Question: I asked myself, “What is the author trying to get me to think about or do?”

Some Ways to Get Started … Questions Statements What steps should I follow to solve this problem? I’m thinking _____. What is the graph/chart/diagram/image telling me? This reminds me of _____. What is a good way to help me remember this information? I’m picturing/seeing/hearing/wondering _____. Where have I seen this kind of situation/problem before? I figured out that _____. What do I notice about this situation/problem? That struck me as _____ because _____.

For Reference and More Practice … Refer to the Thinking (and Talking ) about Thinking Student Reference Sheet. www.grammargallery.org Copyright 2015