Thinking is a skill, not a talent.
It can be practised like any other skill. Teacher Memi’s method, the Cognitive Architecture Protocol™ (CAP™), builds it in five phases, the way an arch is built: each stone rests on the one before, and once the keystone is in, the arch stands by itself.
Five phases, one arch
1 Left pillar
Understand
Every student is different. I start by learning who they are, what they’re good at and what holds them back.
2 Right pillar
Build trust
A student can only grow if they can be themselves without fear of being judged. They need to feel safe with me, and to know they’re in good hands.
3 Left arch stone
Find the flaws
We gently name what’s holding their thinking back, and students learn to spot weak arguments, in other people’s reasoning and in their own. Having weaknesses is normal; knowing one is the first step to overcoming it.
4 Right arch stone
Test and rebuild
The longest phase. Debate after debate, under real pressure, old thinking habits are replaced with better ones.
5 The keystone
Stand on their own
The student leaves with the tools to keep improving on their own.
Two classes for every debate
Every booklet runs over two classes. Students debate ideas, not personal beliefs, and often argue the side they disagree with. That’s how they learn to understand other people’s views.
- Class 1Students learn the topic and one skill or logical fallacy.
- Class 2They debate the topic and argue both sides.
Crossfire
In crossfire, debaters question each other directly and have to answer on the spot. Here a student takes on her teacher.
The grand debate
Each term ends with a grand debate. Students compete, a winner is declared, and parents get a video showing their child’s progress and best moments.
“Self-reflection, never self-doubt.”
Teacher Memi
Questions first? Write to memi@unshakablemind.com. I reply within 24 hours.