Mia and her classmates are discussing the ethics of capital punishment. When Mia strongly asserts her position on the issue, her
professor encourages her to consider and respond to her classmates’ opposing views. Mia is upset because with an IQ of 145, she knows she is the smartest person in the room! Mia’s barrier to critical thinking is: 1.time.
Mia 's barrier to critical thinking is 4.<em>thinking that she is too smart</em>. She thinks herself to be that smart because of her intelligence performance- IQ- ; she has been evaluated with a much higher grade -145- than the average. As a consequence, she cannot understand - <em>she gets upset</em> - why she is asked to give an answer to her classmates' different or opposing ideas. She mistakes critical debates for questioning her intelligence; she thinks her 145 IQ is synonymous with the absolute truth.
1. Time is not correct because this is not a factor to be considered when debating critically.
2.lack of understanding. Mia undesrtands perfectly well the teacher's instructions. Her problem is not rational but emotional.
3.IQ philosophy. In fact, Mia 's intelligence has been measured using this IQ philosophy, but it is <em>her attitude</em> what works as a barrier for critical thinking.
Humility and modesty are two traits that any reasonable person should fancy when discussing any topic, regardless of her objective or perceived intelligence. This is the case because, when dealing with any intricate subject, like capital punishment, the topic´s nuances and history can prove to be more profound than what anyone could suspect; for that reason, it is important to lend an ear —respectfully and humbly— to all arguments posed by other interlocutors in order to grasp the problem in all of its complexities and foster authentic critical thinking.
“P begins to tell Junior about teaching Mary, Junior's sister. He says she was the smartest kid he ever taught—smarter even than Junior. She wanted to be a romance novelist.”
Effective teachers can find ideas and inspirations from just about anything in their life, but especially from other teachers, teaching magazines and websites, and teacher guides that accompany textbooks because they often include tips to make the lesson fun and interesting for students.
