As you aim to succeed at work or in school, you’ll regularly face multiple challenges. There isn’t a rulebook outlining what setbacks you can expect, and your reaction to these pitfalls determines whether you succeed or fail. Most times, our reaction is tied to the mindset that we bear, and if you aren’t willing to deal with a challenging situation, then you won’t succeed.

In a professional setting, many people struggle with having and maintaining a positive mindset towards failure. Metacognition explains our mindset when we are faced with different situations. If career men and women struggle with metacognition, then children are likely to hold a self-defeating mindset when faced with challenges.

Educators must therefore do what it takes to change how students think about their thoughts to have any chance against a negative mindset. For example, most students hate math because they often fail to get correct answers. A child will then go on and say, “I don’t like math.” As an ideal teacher, you should advise them to restate such a declaration to identify where the challenge occurs. In this case, “What math concept don’t you like?”

How to Employ Metacognition in Class

1. Avoid praising high-scoring students but rather encourage a student’s determination to solve a problem. You can do so by recognizing that a student did not quit a test but rather worked to get an answer, even if it wasn’t the correct one.
2. Always reward or praise a student’s ability to solve problems
3. Encourage the classroom to collaborate when looking for a solution to a problem. You can give your students a bunch of tests that are looking for a reason why a certain situation happened.
4. Find out what your students learned at the end of each day. Find a handful of students and ask them for new ideas or different points of view they obtained and how they changed their metacognition.
5. Allow students to summarize new concepts taught in class
6. Teach students to ask questions, particularly inward questions, to build their conviction—“Why?”
7. Get your students to find the similarities and differences between various ideas
8. Ensure you provide feedback, whether positive or negative
9. Look out for mistakes

There are multiple ways to employ metacognition in the classroom. However, it is impossible to use all the steps, and you are better off sticking with one method and cultivating it as a habit in class.

The Advantages of Understanding Metacognition

Once students understand their metacognition, they’ll know the situations that favor their learning and understanding. Also, they are better at speaking their minds, and instructors will find it easy to help them achieve academic success.

Educators often think that they must ready their students for tests and exams. However, their primary role is to ensure that students are capable of dealing with multiple situations in school and later in their adult lives. Accordingly, metacognition allows students to be self-aware and understand their strengths and weaknesses. They will know what works for them in school and adjust their learning strategies to cater to their weaknesses.

Adopting metacognition early on can help students learn self-critiquing methods and further improve their grades. Being a fluid student is an invaluable skill that gives one the opportunity to leverage their strengths against available opportunities.