Cultures of Thinking in Action

From leading educational researcher Ron Ritchhart, a deep dive that illuminates what the foundational mindsets needed to create cultures of thinking really looks like in action.

Building on the framework presented in the best-selling Creating Cultures of Thinking, Ron Ritchhart’s new book, Cultures of Thinking in Action, takes the next step in helping readers not only understand how a culture of thinking looks and feels, but also how to create it for themselves and their learners. Arguing that no set of practices or techniques alone is sufficient to create a culture of thinking in and of itself, Ritchhart explores the underlying beliefs that motivate the creation of cultures of thinking, presenting key mindsets every educator and leader needs to embrace if they are serious about creating powerful thinkers and learners.

Much more than just an instructional guide, Cultures of Thinking in Action offers readers a reflective journey into their own teaching, leading, and parentingwhile providing the foundation and concrete strategies needed to create and develop a culture of thinking for all learners.

This book:

• Presents ten foundational mindsets of a culture of thinking
• Includes the latest research of the Cultures of Thinking Project
• Includes questions, exercises, and discussion prompts to inspire reflection by individuals and teams
• Provides case studies and best practice scenarios to exemplify each mindset
• Provides useful data collection tools to inform one’s teaching practice

List of Figures

Dedication

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

Mindset 1: For Classrooms to Be Cultures of Thinking for Students, Schools Must Be Cultures of Thinking for Teachers

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Transformative Power of Inquiry

Institutional Mirroring

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 2: We Can’t Directly Teach Dispositions; We Must Enculturate Them

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

The Case for Curiosity

The Case for Metacognition

Developing Dispositions

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 3: To Create a New Story of Learning, We Must Change the Role of the Student and the Teacher

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

On Supporting Agency

On Teacher and Student Talk

On Initiative and Reliance

On Identity

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 4: Students Learn Best When They Feel Known, Valued, and Respected by Both the Adults in the School and Their Peers

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Belonging

Relationships

Value, Fairness, and Respect

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 5: Learning Is a Consequence of Thinking

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Beware the Fluency Trap

Identifying Types of Thinking

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 6: Learning and Thinking Are as Much a Collective Enterprise as They Are an Individual Endeavor

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Intellectual Development

Social Development

Academic Development

Professional Learning

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 7: Learning Occurs at the Point of Challenge

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Productive Struggle and Failure

Desirable Difficulties

Growth Mindset

Desire for Challenge

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 8: Questions Drive Thinking and Learning

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Student Questions

Listening

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 9: The Opportunities We Create for Our Students Matter to Their Engagement, Empowerment, and Learning

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Qualities of Powerful Learning Opportunities

Engagement

Empowerment

Visions and Reflections: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Mindset as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Mindset 10: We Make Thinking and Learning Visible to Demystify, Inform, and Illuminate These Processes

What the Research Says: Why Does It Matter?

Developing Effective Learners

Enhancing Expertise and Deeper Learning

Academic Achievement

Principles and Practices: How Might It Look?

Constructing Our Vision

Contemplating Pictures of Practice

Reflecting on Current Practice

Data, Principles, and Practices: What Actions Can We Take?

Collecting Street Data

Stating the Belief as Principles for Action

Possible Actions

Fitting New Actions with Current Realities

Conclusion: Our Theory of Action

Epilogue

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

Appendix G

Appendix H

Appendix I

Endnotes

References

Ron Ritchhart is an award-winning, retired Senior Research Associate at Harvard Project Zero and current Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His research is focused on developing intellectual character, making thinking visible, and enhancing school and classroom culture to promote deep learning. He is the author of the bestselling Making Thinking Visible, The Power of Making Thinking Visible, and Creating Cultures of Thinking.

Praise for Cultures of Thinking in Action

"How do we empower and support adults in deep learning so that they will create the same conditions for students in their classrooms? In Cultures of Thinking in Action, Ron Ritchhart provides the roadmap to help move us beyond one-off performative 'thinking' strategies toward transformative habits of mind and practice for both teachers and students that create the conditions for deep learning."
—Zaretta Hammond, Author, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

"Internationally renowned leader of Making Thinking Visible and Teaching for Understanding work, Ron Ritchhart begins this book by reminding us that there is no quick fix to promote thinking and understanding—we must cultivate school cultures that empower teachers and students to think and work deeply together. Thankfully, he then provides hundreds of concrete practices, routines, structures, and questions to guide us in creating classroom and school cultures of deeper thinking and learning."
—Ron Berger, Senior Advisor for Teaching & Learning at EL Education, and Co-author, Leaders of Their Own Learning

"As of this writing, I have been a professional educator for 51 ½ years, and a long-time advocate for the cultivation of thinking. Cultures of Thinking in Action is one of the finest books on this topic I have read. If you value a thoughtful education, you'll savor this book."
—Jay McTighe, Educational Consultant and Co-author of the Understanding by Design series

Building on the framework presented in the bestselling Creating Cultures of Thinking, this new book helps educators understand how a culture of thinking looks and feels, and how to nurture its development. Much more than a simple "how-to" resource, Cultures of Thinking in Action dives deep into the why, how, and what of creating a culture of thinking. It's perfect for any educator seeking to maximize the impact they can have.