Developing Thinking Skills Across the School

Learning has never been enough.

A school may well achieve the results it needs with effective teaching and learning but to what extent are the students being encouraged to think, not just learn?

And by 'think', we mean deeply, creatively, philosophically, critically and, perhaps the most important, for themselves.

This is where the work of Independent Thinking founder, Ian Gilbert comes in.

He set up this unique organisation over three decades ago with the express aim, as the name suggests, of working with young people to develop their thinking skills.

Since then he has worked with schools across five continents, modelling and sharing classroom approaches and strategies that have children and young people thinking, hard.

'My brain hurts,' is probably the most common feedback he receives from the young people he works with!

The author of best-selling titles including Essential Motivation in the Classroom, now in its third edition, the prescient Why Do I Need a Teacher When I've got Google? and the ever-popular Little Book of Thunks, Ian is an award-winning writer and publisher and now a series editor with Routledge.

Despite being busy writing, editing, speaking at education events around the world and leading Independent Thinking, he is happiest in a classroom with a group of children getting them to think, watched by teachers who are keen to pick up classroom strategies to help develop thinking – not just learning – in their classrooms.

This CPD model is one that he has delivered successfully in schools across the world.

While there is plenty of flexibility to suit the needs of an individual school, the basic model is this:

• Ian works with as many groups of young people as possible over the course of the school day, observed by as many staff as possible.
• He takes them through a Thunks thinking session that can last anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour.
• This is then followed by a twilight 'debrief' session where he helps staff unpick what they observed, not only in his practice but also in the responses of the children and young people. It is often these responses that are most surprising and insightful for the class teachers.

This is a proven and highly cost-effective CPD model that brings one of the leading practitioners of thinking skills into your classrooms, working directly with your students and their teachers.

What's more, not only does Ian's work help schools re-look at classroom practice to encourage deeper thinking, there are also benefits when it comes to other important aspects of a child's development, such as oracy and self-esteem.

You can read more about that here.

The price of this unique CPD event is £1250 plus expenses plus VAT for a full day with students and the twilight with staff.

And, like all of Independent Thinking's offerings, comes with our 'satisfaction or you pay nothing' guarantee.

To find out more, drop Ian a line by clicking here or give us a call on +44 (0)1267 211432.

In a world of AI and increasing challenge and complexity, learning and qualifications are not enough.

In fact, they have never been enough.

It is the quality of an individual's thinking that will really give them the edge.

Thunks creator and Independent Thinking founder, Ian Gilbert