Checklist for Problem Solving

(found in Comprehensive Character-Building Classroom: A Handbook for Teachers)
 

____Teacher poses thinking questions.
 

____Students are given time to think after questions are posed.
 

Students:
____predict
____test their hypotheses
____evaluate their predictions
____experiment
____Teacher encourages students to solve their own problems
____At group time students are involved in decision making.
____The teacher encourages students to resolve their own crises.
____When students have problems, they try to solve them before asking for help.
____Students seem to take pleasure in solving problems.

Teacher:
____The teacher encourages students to assume responsibility for their own actions.
____The teacher brings up problems for students to discuss at large group time.
____Teacher uses problem solving vocabulary such as "problem", "solutions", "alternative solutions", "what would happen?", "ideas".
____Teacher focuses on the process of decision making rather than on quick easy adult solutions.         Emphasis is on logical thinking.
____Teacher focuses on student thinking by asking probing questions such as "tell me more".
____Teacher encourages more than one solution (at least three).
____Teacher encourages students to reflect on their own thinking and verbalize it, by asking "Tell me how you solved that", etc.
____Teacher is a mentor, stimulating student initiative.
____The teacher employs guided problem solving strategies when a crises arises.


 

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