Training for Critical Thinking

Amateurs train until they get it right, professionals train until they can’t get it wrong.

The Difference Between School and Training

This post looks to examine the difference between how educators teach children for standardized tests and how industry professionals train for their own versions of standardized tests.

A Page from the U.S. Army

The Army is a good example of professionals training to meet a certain standard. The parallels here to school children are very similar as each year the U.S. Army and its reserve forces will recruit around 70,000 young citizens and train them to be professionals in fields such as logistics, cyber defense and human resources. The Army has a vested interest in creating a fully capable Soldier as fast as possible. Here some are the Army’s training principles:

  • Commanders are responsible for training
  • Train to Standard
  • Train as You Fight
  • Train to Sustain
  • Train Fundamentals First
  • Train to Develop Adaptability

Lets translate that to Education and training for Critical Thinking

  • Parents are responsible for training
  • Train to Standardized Tests
  • Train for Real Applications
  • Train to Sustain, Don’t Lose It!
  • Train Fundamentals First
  • Train to Develop Adaptability

Some of these translate word for word. Why do we leave children to train themselves? When it is ballet, guitar or baseball we literally take our kids to a trainer and have them trained and we take them to the back yard and practice. Why don’t we do the same for critical thinking? Granted it isn’t a sport but it has applications across every academic test and its word the effort to train like a professional.