In the first blog, we looked at the invisible ceilings that schools build — often without realizing it. Ceilings that quietly teach learners they can only grow as far as the system expects.
Read this blog alongside When Schools Believe Their Own Lies: The Illusory Truth in Education
But here’s the truth: ceilings are not permanent. They can be broken. And when we break them, we don’t just change test scores — we change how learners see themselves and their potential.
From Compliance to Thinking
Every outdated practice in the classroom — endless drilling, syllabus-chasing, worksheets, grading — comes from a single place: a belief that learners need to be controlled.
When we flip that belief, everything changes.
Instead of controlling learning, we facilitate thinking.
- Learners stop copying and start questioning.
- They stop fearing mistakes and start exploring possibilities.
- They stop waiting for answers and start planning their own strategies.
The Thinking Tools Approach
The brain is naturally wired to learn by thinking. Thinking Tools taps into this wiring with a simple but powerful process:
1. Surface Thinking First
Before going deep, learners capture what they already know. This builds confidence and creates a foundation for growth.
Example: In math, learners map what they understand about a problem before attempting to solve it which is what I call Step Zero.
2. Deep Thinking Through Comparisons
The real learning begins when learners analyze, compare, and connect.
Example: Instead of drilling sums, learners compare strategies for solving problems, discussing why one approach might be more efficient than another.
3. Planning Before Execution
Thinking happens before action.
Example: Before starting a math problem, learners outline their plan, predict challenges, and decide on the steps to take. This reduces panic in exams and builds independent reasoning.
4. Reflection and Refinement
After solving, learners reflect:
- What worked?
- What didn’t?
- How would I approach this differently next time?
This reflection develops adaptive, flexible thinkers — the kind of learners who thrive in real-life situations, not just in classrooms.
The Visible Change
When ceilings are broken, you see it everywhere:
- In the classroom
Learners engage in conversations filled with why and how, not just what. - In assessments
Students face new problems with calm confidence because they understand the process, not just the steps. - In attitudes
Fear turns into curiosity. Learners begin to believe, “I can think through this. I can figure this out.”
Why This Works
The Illusory Truth Effect taught us that repetition creates belief.
So, we flip it:
- Repeat thinking, not copying.
- Repeat reasoning, not rote learning.
- Repeat planning, not panic.
Over time, learners stop seeing themselves as passive receivers and start seeing themselves as active thinkers — capable, creative, and resilient.
Practical Steps for Teachers
If you’re ready to start breaking the ceiling in your own classroom, here’s where to begin:
- Start small — Add one Thinking Tool, like a tree map for surface thinking, into your next lesson.
- Shift your questions — Move from “What’s the answer?” to “How did you figure that out?”
- Celebrate the process — Value reasoning and effort as much as correct answers.
- Reflect together — Build time into lessons for learners to think about their thinking.
- Model curiosity — Show learners that learning is exploration, not performance.
A New Belief for Classrooms
When learners believe they can think, reason, and solve problems, they begin to act that way.
And that’s the real magic: belief, repeated often enough, becomes reality.
Not a ceiling — but a foundation for limitless growth.
Final Thought
Ceilings are built by habits.
But habits can change.
It starts with a single shift: teaching learners how to think, not just what to know.
Because the truth is simple — and powerful:
Math isn’t broken. Our way of teaching it is. And we have the tools to fix it.
