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JT's avatar

I still remember what my 3rd grade teacher told the class - one of the most important things you can do in life is ask: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. I can say that while I didn't grasp the enormity of that lesson at the time, its repetition over the next few years and on into adulthood has definitely served me well. I'm often amazed at the lack of that practice in many of my peers, and I encourage them to utilize those questions.

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Jim Schout's avatar

I have come to believe the answer is to teach the student how critical thinking will benefit that student personally. Make it a necessity for personal success.

How about this idea? Teach the student that he or she is a personal business and success in life is achieved by making the most out of his value to society. What you choose to do with yourself is up to you, but the key is to find the innate capabilities you possess by finding what interests you the most and expanding that interest to make yourself of value to society.

Whether you actually start your own business or work for someone else is of no consequence. What matters is how you provide value to America in your personal pursuit of happiness.

This approach obviously ties back to civics and the Declaration of Independence. It is a human right to pursue happiness and to acquire property through hard work and perseverance.

Let’s train our students to turn themselves into money making entrepreneurs. That beats turning them in victims in my book.

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