A major impediment to fostering critical thinking in STEM programs is, ironically, state science standards. In 2012, the Thomas Fordham Foundation completed a review of multiple aspects of US state science standards and determined states averaged a "C-" overall, with only six states earning an "A." This article is about how teachers (whether in a STEM program or not) can best practice scientific (i.e., critical) thinking and therefore promote it in their students, despite the fact that there are powerful mechanisms in place to make such promotion difficult.