I think, therefore I am

Critical thinking can be practised. For example, at the European Youth Forum Trogen EYFT organised by the Pestalozzi Children's Village.

Sarah Tachezy had many aha moments during the international exchange week at the Pestalozzi Children's Village. «At the beginning of the exercises, I often asked myself why we were doing this or that right now,» recalls the 18-year-old participant. For example, during the first exercise of the workshop: Almost two dozen young people from nine European nations are sitting in a circle, including Sarah. They all receive a red piece of paper. The only information: whoever has the most slips of paper at the end gets to set a rule for the coming week.
After a brief discussion, everyone decides to give their slip of paper to a person in the room who they think is trustworthy. A short time later, the young cantonal school pupil holds all the slips of paper in her hand. Except her own. «I then made a rule that you always have to smile and look forward to the day when you enter the classroom.» Sarah Tachezy is delighted. Not about her temporary decision-making power, but about the way the teachers work and the group's reaction to it. «They gave us a lot of power and then looked at what we did with it.»

Respond spontaneously to questions

The European Youth Forum Trogen EYFT was launched in 2017 as a cooperation between the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation and the cantonal school in Trogen. The aim of the forum: young people from different countries discuss ways to live together peacefully in Europe. Rebecca Graf, Latin and history teacher at the Kanti, workshop leader and co-initiator of the EYFT, is enthusiastic about the intercultural exchange, as it allows you to get to know Europe from the inside within a week.
«You get a lot of first-hand insights into different cultures and the various facets of the European continent. By living together with students and teachers from different countries, you experience the cultural differences in everyday life, discover culinary specialities and find common compromises. Diplomacy takes place in the smallest of spaces.» As a teacher, she sees the great benefit of working without a curriculum and being able to react spontaneously to problems or questions.

Recognising prejudices

Rebecca Graf: «I appreciate the way the Children's Village works, which gives the participants the opportunity to experience and realise things for themselves.» In her workshop on minorities, for example, she realised that young people from some countries didn't even know what a minority was or took the prevailing situation for granted. It was only in discussions with their peers that they realised that this was not necessarily the case, says the teacher. Sarah Tachezy recognises these moments. «It's about questioning prejudices, but also accepting them and discussing them if they are confirmed.»
At the EYFT, the 18-year-old shared the house with the participants from Turkey, who she initially thought would be much more religious and cerebral. In conversation, she got to know patriotic young people who put their country above all else, but do not blindly approve of Erdogan's policies. «I was extremely fascinated to meet people who love their country but criticise it at the same time.»
Rebecca Graf has also experienced the EYFT as very challenging, for example when tensions between groups from Ukraine and Russia seemed insurmountable. «The experience of the teachers at the children's village helped a lot. They know the right exercises and games to bring groups together again. » The development of group cohesion during this week has become an important experience for the canteen teacher, which she still draws on today when it comes to group formation in a class. «I was able to expand my range of teaching and learning methods and have many experience-orientated ideas that enrich lessons in the classroom or outdoors,» she says.

Group-forming processes

The intercultural exchange week organised by the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation left its mark on Sarah Tachezy in various ways - including in terms of her career goals. She felt inspired by the way the teachers worked and developed the desire to become a teacher or work in the social sector.
The workshop leaders managed to form a group from a heterogeneous crowd in a very short space of time. «They encouraged critical thinking by asking lots of questions and giving us the space to find our own answers.» Rebecca Graf has fond memories of the closing ceremony, during which they look back on the eventful and emotional week. «We argued and found each other again, and it's such a powerful moment that you don't want to leave.»

For teachers: Promoting critical thinking in the classroom

Schaffen Sie ein Lernklima des Vertrauens und Selbstvertrauens, des respektvollen und wertschätzenden Miteinanders, in dem das Machen von Fehlern und das Ausprobieren von Ideen ausdrücklich erwünscht sind.

Sorgen Sie für die nötige Stimmung für kritisches Denken, indem Sie Zweifel, Verwunderung und Grenzerfahrungen ermöglichen, damit die Lernenden herausgefordert und eingeladen werden, sich auf unbekannte Denkpfade zu begeben.

Ermöglichen Sie «echte» Erfahrungen mit der herausfordernden Realität jenseits des Klassenzimmers als Anlass für kritisches Denken.

Sorgen Sie dafür, dass eine grosse Vielfalt an Perspektiven berücksichtigt und von den Lernenden diskutiert und beurteilt wird.

Räumen Sie Ihren Lernenden ausreichend Zeit für die Kontemplation und für Diskussionen ein. Kritisches Denken entfaltet sich erst mit dem längeren, beharrlichen Nachdenken und Sprechen über einen Sachverhalt.

Source: An article by Dr Dirk Jahn, published on www.mediamanual.at

To the author:

About the Pestalozzi Children's Village

The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation is an internationally active children's aid organisation. Children and young people have been at the centre of its activities since 1946. The Children's Village in Trogen is a place of peace-building, where children from Switzerland and abroad learn to deal with cultural and social differences through exchange. The foundation provides disadvantaged children in twelve countries around the world with access to quality education.
www.pestalozzi.ch