Thinking About Thinking at The Harbour School 

A week ago, I was lucky enough to attend a conference on Cultures of Thinking. Inspired by Ron Ritchhart’s book and philosophies, the conference focused on a series of 10 mindsets, each of which had varying levels of importance and impact on each of the participating teachers. While the merits of some of the mindsets seemed universal and intuitive, others were more up for interpretation; this varied according to individuals, as well as the cultures of the school they represented. The sharing of the presenters and the exchange of ideas among participants cooked up some invaluable food for thought, about our thoughts.

Indeed, a conference about the Cultures of Thinking got me thinking about our own thinking: How many of our thoughts just flow through, and how many of them are personally directed and stimulated? How mindful are we, really? About our actions? About our routines? & About the stimuli our senses receive and perceive every second? 

Some believe that, as humans, a sign of our existence is that we think; yet, each individual has their capacity, expression, and style of thinking, which could be as unique to others as an individual’s fingerprint. Unlike a fingerprint, though, our thinking is much more dynamic. Our thoughts, as well as our thinking style, get shaped and molded through an ongoing process, based on our life experiences. 

Undeniably, there is perhaps very little that can be more important than our thoughts to stay healthy and live a fulfilling life. From easing the suffering of psychosomatic diseases, to conceiving of ideas that could germinate tomorrow’s innovations, and even doing things to build lifelong relationships. The utility of a helpful thought is invaluable. It has become increasingly apparent that one’s success is almost directly proportional to how they (re-)direct and feed off their mind’s processes and thoughts.

As a whole, The Harbour School strives to stimulate students’ thoughts that could enable them to achieve academic excellence, develop multiple intelligences, and embody personal character in the most effective way possible. Primarily, we know we have done our bit - and can derive a sense of success - when students leave us as better thinkers than when they first came to us. This is essential, particularly as we see our youth as tomorrow’s drivers of economies, teachers of our descendants, as well as our doctors when we become elderly. To be allowed to impact future minds on such a mass level is a gift not many are lucky to have. 

Overall, this conference reinforced the importance of redirecting our thoughts. While thinking may be innate, the thoughts upon which we choose to act and feel determine our reality. As teachers, it is up to us to lead the way and initiate the culture of healthy thinking. I look forward to a time when students too adopt a healthy thinking culture, and graduate as better thinkers.