Applying Metacognition in School

Written By Colēgia

Metacognition, or thinking about thinking, can be applied to many different areas of life. For school specifically, it can give us the ability to re-frame our outlook on each subject. While this can seem a bit tricky at first, there are ways to make it easier. Today we want to cover some ways that we can apply metacognition in school.

Using Awareness in The Classroom

The classroom is a great place to apply metacognition. One example of this can be a lecture. When we're listening to the teacher we need to consider the context of what we're learning. For example, in a philosophy class, we need to consider our own biases when it comes to another way of thinking. This is helpful because it can help us readjust our own moral compass as well. Philosophy as a course is built with metacognition in mind since it challenges us to review what we already know. It's healthy to recognize that our own point of view isn't always true and while sometimes we need to stand our ground, that may not apply all the time. Sometimes there will be moments where we may disagree during a class debate for example and it's good to evaluate why we feel the way we do. By doing this we can be more aware of whether we're being mindful of those around us.

“The classroom is a great place to apply metacognition.”

Re-framing Our Lessons

Understanding our lessons in the classroom and the concepts our homework covers isn't always straightforward. For some of us, we might be more pragmatic with how we view things and for others, we might grasp abstract concepts more easily. It's good to reflect on what kind of thinker we are and try to re-frame some of what we learn with that in mind. One example of this is seeing how something can apply to our everyday life. A short story in an English class for example can be a metaphor for other events in our lives or it can simply be a cautionary tale. Being able to distinguish which elements from a story can be applied can give us a better way of making sense of things.

“It's good to reflect on what kind of thinker we are and try to re-frame some of what we learn with that in mind.”

Metacognition in Social Settings

Metacognition can also apply to social settings as well. School can be a very pivotal moment in our life since some of the relationships we establish here can last far beyond the classroom. Putting our best foot forward when it comes to meeting others is ideal. Being mindful of our actions along with what we say can help us build more compassion. Sometimes when we speak we may not always be mindful of how those around us might be feeling. Rethinking how we speak to people along with understanding the context of who we're talking to can help us build more positive manners. Carrying ourselves with respect and thinking about that allows us to be more confident in more social situations and in turn can lead to better results. Metacognition as a skill gives us a multitude of tools to work with to better improve our lives and all it takes is a bit of critical thinking.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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