Assistant teacher course/Active self-criticism

Self-criticism
Many people tend to rationalize that because an idea was their own idea it is a good idea or the right choice. The following cognitive biases may be related in some way to this rationalization. The instructor should explain the cognitive biases and discuss the relationship between each bias and the rationalization that what you say or do must be right (because you decided to say it or do it). In some cases the relationship is indirect or minor, in other cases the relationship will be very apparent.

Explaining the cognitive biases and discussing the relationships to the rationalization with the course can also be delegated to participants. Each participant can be given a presentation assignment for the purpose and prepare his lecture in group work or individual work.

Decision-making and behavioral biases:

Biases in probability and belief:

Social biases, Attributional biases:

Memory errors:

Active self-criticism
Why is "active self-criticism" active? The term is meant not only to imply that you criticise yourself but also that you can do it without anybody prompting you to criticise yourself in any way. The ideal attitude of mind here is that the assistant teacher learns to reveal his own mistakes and biases to himself without any need for a dialog partner, which should, of course, not be interpreted to depreciate the value of a dialog (e.g. with a mentor) by itself.

Taking an intermediate position
Pupils tend to take extreme positions occasionally because they may not have learned yet to search actively for more appropriate or more moderate positions.