The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of the dialectical journal as a tool for teaching critical thinking skills, and to assess middle school teachers' perception of critical thinking. Two groups of middle school students were split into one control and one experimental group. Both groups took a critical thinking test before the experimental group alone was instructed on how to use the dialectical journal. Both groups took another critical thinking test after this instruction. For the second part of the research, middle school teachers responded to survey questions and statement. They responded with written statements and checked boxes to indicate their perceptions of critical thinking. Results demonstrate that after two weeks of instruction, the experimental group performed poorer than it did in the pretest group. Similarly, the control group performed poorer than it did in the pretest with the difference being that the control group never received any instruction on how to use the dialectical journal. Results also showed that majority of the teachers surveyed have perceptions of critical thinking that are favorable and accurate by virtue of their consistency with research. Results show that the dialectical journal is ineffective as a tool for teaching critical thinking, but a few threats to validity make this result inconclusive and therefore a pilot research. Additionally, since teachers have favorable perception of critical thinking, they are willing to learn more about it and to teach it. More research should be done regarding the use of dialectical journal and the research should take timing and the duration of the research into consideration. To help their students think critically using tools such as the dialectical journal, teachers should consider doing so flexibly and incrementally. The following are appended: (1) Critical Thinking: What Do You Think?; (2) Dialectical Journal; (3) Table C1; (4) Table D1; and (5) Notice of Approval. (Contains 6 tables.)