In our college program that prepares Health Care Assistants for their role in the health care system, we talk a lot about the importance of being able to problem solve. Health care deals with people, who are always dynamic and changeable. No cookie cutter clients. No foolproof formulas. So it is important that caregivers can think through new situations and apply knowledge and experience to make decisions and take actions that support the health and safety of clients and workers. As faculty we have noted that this is easy for some students, and very hard for others. We frequently encounter students who want the ‘one right answer’, and we reply with some version of ‘there are many ways to do most things, and the important thing is to be able to see which ones are good and which ones are not’. Our approach is to teach principles of good care, and support students to use those principles to analyze and choose what they will do.

I was very interested in Brookfield’s chapter on teaching students to think critically. He highlights that we each carry assumptions as we approach any situation or topic, and it is foundational in critical thinking to bring those assumptions to light and subject them to ‘appraisal’ – checking if they are ‘accurate and valid’ (p. 115). He says “They do this by looking at their ideas and decisions from different perspectives.” (p 155)

Brookfield reflects on 5 themes he heard from students (through their weekly Critical Incident Questionnaires) about how this process is supported in their learning. These themes are: observing the instructor model critical thinking, discussing ideas in small groups with alternate viewpoints, working with case studies, being supported to be open to new learning through moments outside their comfort zone, and having learning activities sequenced so that they build from ‘non-threatening settings’ to more challenging and personal activities.

I take away from this chapter several applications to my own teaching.

  1. I want to be more thoughtful about when more modelling of problem solving would support students in developing that skill (specifically in 1:1 instruction in the care skills lab setting).
  2. I will continue to use small group discussions in class, and be more explicit in explaining the purpose of sharing multiple, and possibly contradictory, view points: that we benefit from “shedding light on assumptions … and introducing new perspectives that have not been previously considered.” (p 156)
  3. I will continue to use case scenario activities and build in questions to uncover the assumptions each person brings to the situation and consider how those assumptions may impact their choice of actions. And I will be more explicit is explaining that the point is not to find the ‘right’ answer, but to help each other to think more broadly.

The most important insight I take from this chapter is that we each have assumptions, based on our individual life influences and experiences, and critical thinking requires that we become aware of those assumptions so we can decide if we want to continue to have them lead our actions or want to change. This can be a very uncomfortable, unsettling, and challenging process. I am challenged to think more deeply about my assumptions about teaching and my students, and consider if alternate ideas would help me support their learning better.

Brookfield, S. D. (2015) The Skillfull Teacher: On Technique, Trust, and Responsiveness in the Classroom (3rd ed). Jossey-Bass