When it comes to critical thinking, there are always so many questions that follow it. One of the first questions I looked into was whether we are born with critical thinking skills. To explore this idea, I think we have to first take ourselves over to an example to illustrate. We have all probably seen those individuals that can complete a rubik’s cube in seconds (showing my age now) and have been labelled as ‘gifted.’ Or perhaps the person that can remember all the digits of Pi (Π) Is it science? Is it luck? Or is it that they just ‘have it in them?’ I am not too sure! Both of these exa ..read more

Lockdown and the pandemic may now, in 2024 feel like a distant memory that we would all rather forget, however, not all teaching and learning has resumed its in-person delivery. Online vs Offline, what’s the difference? While it may not be readily apparent, I believe there are subtle distinctions in critical thinking between an in-person classroom setting and an online environment. As some of you may be aware, I commenced my independent workshop sessions during the pandemic. While there were beneficial activities and a degree of engagement, I longed for the interpersonal connection found ..read more

The million dollar question which I don’t have a definite answer to (disclaimer)! What I do have are some thoughts on measuring! Can Critical Thinking be Measured? There has been a long-standing debate on if critical thinking can be measured. What I always try to remember when I am talking about critical thinking with educators and students is the context. We operate in the academic sphere so this means that for the most part, there are rules that apply that constrict our creative freedoms (not entirely but think assessments, rubrics etc). In an academic context, we create our own measures f ..read more

It’s February already and here is my first post of the month! Today’s spotlight is on Socratic Questioning. If you’re an educator or currently enrolled in a teaching program, it’s quite probable that you’re familiar with the teachings of Socrates. For those who are novices, here is a quick history lesson! Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who is most famous for his work on ethics. Today, we talk of the ‘Socratic method or Socratic questioning.’ One of the most interesting facts about Socrates is that he spread his ideas through his students instead of writing. One of his most famous ..read more

We are in mid-January and I have delivered my first set of workshops for the year! It was great to start 2024 by connecting with educators teaching on T-Levels. Reflecting on the conversations I had with these educators, I thought about how we can nurture a culture for critical thinking skills to grow and develop. Cultivating an environment for critical thinking in HE and FE involves creating a classroom atmosphere that encourages thought inquiry, analysis, and confidence in independent thought. Teachers are Human too (I promise)! Have you noticed that certain students may envision placi ..read more

It’s 3rd January 2024, my second working day of the new year. I am gathering my thoughts from 2023 with a hot drink in hand to tame the shock to the system at trying to fully function after the holidays! 2023 was a particularly challenging year for me personally. It started with the funeral of a very close relative. January is always disorientating for me and I often find it difficult to start back up again but in 2023, I felt quite stuck. I took some time to re-start. Thankfully, I had a new role which began on 12th January at the University of Nottingham. Returning to a campus after 10 ..read more

Welcome to my first blog post! I am delighted to finally launch this blog and tell you more about my plans. I am blogging because I want to carve out a space to talk about critical thinking in a way that is accessible to both educators and students in the Further and Higher Education Sectors. I hope, in time, to create a professional community around the topic. I hope you enjoy the posts! I will be writing about the challenges with critical thinking, tips to enhance critical thinking, expert views, and much more! If you are an educator, I would love to connect with you. I hope to learn more a ..read more

Those of you who have worked closely with me since I started working independently will know it has long been a goal of mine to change how I work to reflect the society we are in today. I have been passionate about making changes to my website so that you as the user can access what you need quickly whilst having options to book in to speak with me and find out more about what I can offer. What’s New? Over the last year, I have listened carefully to your feedback and added, deleted, amended, and re-designed many aspects of my website! A special thank you to everyone who has been my support sys ..read more

Podcasts. It seems like everywhere you turn there is one. I have aspired to start my Podcast for a while now but wanted to make sure I had the time and energy to dedicate to it. I am lucky enough to be involved in an academic community where I have had the pleasure of listening to some great academics speak about various topics to do with learning and teaching. 2022 feels like a good time to launch. A little balance has been restored and the hybrid system of working for some means I have the flexibility to speak to people all over the world. Who is this Podcast for? This podcast is aimed at th ..read more

Those of you who have worked closely with me since I started working independently will know it has long been a goal of mine to change how I work to reflect the society we are in today. I have been passionate about making changes to my website so that you as the user can access what you need quickly whilst having options to book in to speak with me and find out more about what I can offer. What’s New? Over the last year, I have listened carefully to your feedback and added, deleted, amended, and re-designed many aspects of my website! A special thank you to everyone who has been my support sys ..read more