Expert Thinking

Expert Thinking is knowing how to approach a problem you’ve never seen before, using whatever knowledge you possess.  Seventh graders are developing a sense of what they know, and every school day at Moses Brown shows them new ways to apply it.  No matter what they encounter, we want them to feel confident improvising, experimenting, and collaborating with others to tackle something new.

Seventh graders practice thinking like historians when they research, plan, and design a field trip to Boston, and lead one another through the city.  As citizen scientists, they study the conflicting interests of conservationists, ranchers, ecologists, and wolves in Yellowstone National Park.  And many students volunteer to be Key Ambassadors, working with the admissions staff to show new students around their school, taking on the role of mentor for a day.

Expert Thinking encourages students to be curious, open-minded problem-solvers.  Knowledge is to be used, and teachers coach kids to hone their ability to apply it.  Ultimately, building this habit helps our students understand themselves as agents of change and creativity.  And every step of the way, kids work individually and as part of a team, contributing their talents and celebrating those of their classmates.