1) Label and define what you mean by critical thinking for students and for yourself

• Use Bloom's Taxonomy
• Use Common Descriptive Terms

2) Make sure that critical thinking appears in your assignment

• On the assignment sheet as part of the prompt and in a statement of purposes.
• In the shaping of the actual writing prompt

3) Include Critical Thinking as a part of your grading rubric. Show what it means to be critically thinking at each level of assessment. Provide short samples of what critical thinking looks like for the writing assignment, if possible.  Sample  Another Sample

4) Allow students to practice critical thinking in small ways
     In order to give students "low stakes" practice in using writing to think something through, try using Microthemes