Deep in Thought: A Practical Guide to Teaching for Intellectual Virtues

by Jason Baehr

Deep in Thought provides an introduction to intellectual virtues—the personal qualities and character strengths of good thinkers and learners—and outlines a pragmatic approach for teachers to reinforce them in the classroom.

With a combination of theoretical expertise and practical experience, philosopher Jason Baehr endorses intellectual virtues as a rich, meaningful way to think about and understand the purpose of education. He makes a persuasive case for prioritizing intellectual virtues in the classroom to facilitate deeper learning, encourage lifelong learning, and enrich teacher practice.

Baehr profiles nine key virtues that enable learners to initiate the process of learning, maintain forward momentum, and overcome common obstacles. With engaging anecdotes and concrete examples, he presents a wealth of principles, postures, and practices that educators can employ in promoting essential habits of mind such as curiosity, open-mindedness, and intellectual courage. Baehr illustrates how opportunities to practice these intellectual habits can be integrated into the classroom in ways that align with current teaching practices. In addition, he shows how educators can adapt these practices to accommodate students’ identities, developmental abilities, and interests.

This thought-provoking book supports all educators, especially middle and high school teachers, in teaching for intellectual virtues. Deep in Thought is a philosophical and yet practical guide to one of the most important aims of helping students become skilled thinkers and learners.

Genres: Education

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won’t spoil this book but I enjoyed the discussion of those virtues the author sees as worth pursuing (not saying those are a comprehensives list of virtues he believes in, but as far as intellectual virtues go it is a good list). He explores why helping our students develop in these areas and ways to help our students grow (presenting, practicing, modeling, etc.). I wish we could give half stars because this is a 4.5 star, but I could quite justify a 5 star review since I typically hold those for books I find extraordinary. I would highly recommend this book to teacher of all age groups from elementary to university age students.

[Jacquie Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds educators of why we got into education in the first place and gives us language to cultivate our own intellectual character and our students’ character. The pedagogy of intellectual virtues creates a holistic approach to educate both intellect and character without having to choose between the two. In the gracious tradition of Parker Palmer, Jason Baehr brings compassion and clarity to the aims of teaching.