Writing to Think

I always read non-fiction books with a pencil in hand. I find I think better and remember information more, if I underline, bracket, star, or write a short comment in the margin. I've done this for quite a while, but never really thought about how it helps me think until recently. And it gave me a "teaching" idea.

So I am starting a new activity in my Grade 9 English class: annotation. It is a great way to encourage students to think beyond the surface of a piece of writing and find a deeper and more personal connection with the text.

I have really begun thinking about the need for me to teach my students how to think. It is a difficult job, and one that does not happen without intentionally finding ways to foster this skill. I cannot just be teaching them the parts of a short story, or how a theme is explored through many different episodes in a novel, and I definitely cannot just expect them to regurgitate facts and information about Shakespeare and his  many plays. I cannot even merely explain to them how a story works and how a character is developed.

I have to be teaching them how to think about what they are learning. Can they find these connections on their own? Do they have the skills to analyze the story themselves?

When my students annotate a speech from The Merchant of Venice, they are not just coming to a deeper understanding of what the character is saying, but learning to think critically.

I've been thinking about this, and have come to the realization that this is one of the most important skills that I can teach. Annotating a story or a poem is the first step towards thinking deeper about everything that they read and hear and watch. I hope that this will help them to develop those habits of mind that will help them to think critically and carefully about the books they read, the movies they watch, the sermons they hear. This is a skill that will, I hope, help them to grow in their walk as Christians, as well as human beings.

"But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

(Hebrews 5:14 ESV)