Can Costa's Levels of Thinking Make Me a Better Teacher?

For years I've used Costa’s Levels of Thinking in my AVID, English, and Humanities classrooms to help my students push themselves to higher levels of cognition and to assist them in analyzing their own thinking on assignments and assessments. When going over the results a test, I've asked students to identify the levels of thinking required by the questions that have posed a challenge for them. Knowing what kind of thinking is tripping them up has allowed them to refine their study skills for continued growth. We've written questions together and dissected the questions of others. Costa’s Levels of Thinking have made a world of difference in the way my students learn.  

Recently, I had an epiphany. Not only can Costa’s increase student success, but improvement-minded teachers can use Costa’s to shape and guide their own instructional efforts.  

Costa’s Level 1 refers to the information-gathering stage of thinking. This is the realm of right and wrong answers. Level 1 thinkers simply need to know facts and ideas that others thought of first. Level 1 knowledge is essential for every teacher. Not only must teachers know the nuts and bolts of their subject matter, but they also must understand the state’s essential elements or standards, the district’s curriculum (if such a thing exists), and the rules and policies of the school. Spending time studying lessons on the curriculum database, reading instructional materials, boning up on content, discussing curriculum maps, familiarizing yourself with the textbook, and perusing the TEKS involves necessary Level 1 thinking. Teachers should also be aware of student data: What are the specific strengths and weaknesses of my students, as a class and as individuals?

Effective teachers can’t stop with Level 1 knowledge, though. Level 2 thinking--the kind where you do something with the Level 1 knowledge by applying and analyzing what you know--must take place so teachers can bring instruction to life.

Level 2 thinking for teachers involves customizing the curriculum and standards for their individual campus situations. Teachers consider the needs of their students to determine what instruction needs to look like. Classrooms with multiple ability levels or multiple levels of understanding suggest opportunities for differentiation. In other words, the Level 2 thinking forces teachers to consider how to most effectively implement instruction. It also requires teachers to connect the dots between the elements so that instruction is seamless and has a recognizable direction. Level 2 is the problem-solving stage. It’s all about putting what you know into action.  

More importantly, Level 2 thinking also requires teachers to ask themselves, “Why?” Why am I teaching this content? Why is this skill necessary for my students to learn? Why is the curriculum written the way it is?  What is the thinking behind this curriculum document? When a teacher can articulate the “why” behind the subject matter and curriculum, students will understand the “so what” for the things they’re asked to do.    

Level 3 thinking occurs during and after the lessons are taught. Teachers view their instruction through an evaluative lens. What went well? What didn’t? Why? What do I need to do differently next time? Did my students perform to expectation? If not, how will I need to adjust to remediate or reteach?  Often, I find that as teachers we rush from one activity or assessment to the next and don’t allow ample time for reflection and growth. Level 3 of Costa’s reminds us of the importance of evaluation; it’s how we get better at what we do. The best teachers--like great athletes--are always self-assessing and making microadjustments as they teach, sometimes even in the middle of lessons.

Sometimes, teaching also provides the satisfying Level 3 task of creating. Teachers--individually or on campus or district curriculum teams--take everything they know about learning, content, standards, and students and synthesize all that knowledge to produce thoughtful curriculum units and lessons to engage students and meet their needs. It’s a monumental task that requires the teacher to be simultaneously detailed and visionary.  

I encourage my teacher friends to join me in some metacognition about Costa’s and their own journeys in education. Take stock of the thinking you’re doing and consider what you can do to strengthen any areas of weakness. Let Costa’s Levels of Thinking guide you toward continual improvement. It’s what we’d expect from our students, so I think it’s worth expecting of ourselves.