What It Means To Be A Reflective Teacher
by Terry Heick
Reflection is a fundamental tenet of learning; it is also, therefore, a fundamental part of teaching.
Why it happens is a matter of humility. But how and when it happens–and with whom–is less clear. This is partly because there are multiple sides to reflection–length, width, and depth. A Z-axis.
It is whole.
As a kind of definition, to reflect means to look back at how something “went,” and see it for all of its available parts and patterns: Causes and effects; comparisons and contrast; strengths and weakness; its characteristics; how close it came to what you were expecting; your emotions.
I planned this, and it went like this, and now I think this.
Reflection sounds like an abstract idea–something unspecific, and even a little mystical. Something we do in the shower on the drive home when no one’s around and we’re free to roam in our own minds. It’s definitely true that reflection comes most effortlessly, and in its purest and rawest forms, in those circumstances when we–that is, our minds–are not otherwise engaged.
Reflection isn’t a single thing–a box to check in some elliptical cycle of learning. It’s as much a matter of self-awareness, humility, and affection as it is timing, sequence, and procedure.
I can see the craft of teaching as both a sequence of steps and the fulfillment of design. It’s both parts, and whole. Science and art. Professional and people.
I know nothing is ever perfect, so I seek to improve. I also know what’s improvable within my means, and what pathways there are to get there.
I believe in the endurance of knowledge and understanding, and will bring everything I know to bear on my craft.
With this kind of examination laid out, there practice of reflection is more fruitful, a kind of tilling of the ground to harvest crops. Which is where the non-abstractions come in–the tangible tools, processes, and partners of reflection that allow us to socialize ourselves and our teaching, and benefit from concrete practice of reflection.
When I use twitter, I do so both as a matter of practice and thought. There are mechanical actions that lead to thought, and the other way around. I bring out my tablet or sit down at my PC, log on to twitter, skim my twitter feed, check mentions and messages, respond to tweets if I feel like it. These are inputs. The output, if I get it just right, is reflection.
If I read a tweet, interpret what I believe to be its meaning, find relevance in its message, and think–even briefly–about how I relate to it and it to me, I’m approaching reflection.
Tweet: 10 Assessment Tools For The Flipped Classroom
The Reflective Teacher
The Reflective Teacher“We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.”—John Dewey
Reflective teachers regularly dedicate time to evaluate their teaching practice. They consider the scope of their pedagogy — from the structure of the course to the classroom community — and reflect on how their specific teaching decisions impact their students’ learning. As they analyze their teaching, they consider how they might approach particular tasks or challenges in the future.
As we conclude the semester, this is the perfect time to reflect on your classes and consider teaching decisions for the spring.
Reflective teachers regularly dedicate time to evaluate their teaching practice. They consider the scope of their pedagogy — from the structure of the course to the classroom community — and reflect on how their specific teaching decisions impact their students’ learning. As they analyze their teaching, they consider how they might approach particular tasks or challenges in the future.
As we conclude the semester, this is the perfect time to reflect on your classes and consider teaching decisions for the spring.
- Design of instruction: Have you clearly defined the learning goals you have for your course? Do the assessments in your course measure the goals you have for student learning outcomes? Do the activities you facilitate (lectures, discussions, readings) create experiences for students to reach those goals?
- Course management: Did your schedule of readings, activities, and assignments work well? For instance, do all of your assignments fall at the same time, or are they evenly spaced out? How do you organize assignment deadlines and manage grading?
- Knowledge of subject matter: Is there new scholarship in your field that you would like to explore and perhaps address in future iterations of your course?
- Teacher–Student interactions: What are the different ways you interact with students? Are you “the sage on the stage,” a facilitator of learning, or something else…? How do you relate to students during outside of class during office hours and via email?
Reflective teaching: Exploring our own classroom practice
Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works - a process of self-observation and self-evaluation.
By collecting information about what goes on in our classroom, and by analysing and evaluating this information, we identify and explore our own practices and underlying beliefs. This may then lead to changes and improvements in our teaching.
Reflective teaching is therefore a means of professional development which begins in our classroom.
Why it is important
Many teachers already think about their teaching and talk to colleagues about it too. You might think or tell someone that "My lesson went well" or "My students didn't seem to understand" or "My students were so badly behaved today."
However, without more time spent focussing on or discussing what has happened, we may tend to jump to conclusions about why things are happening. We may only notice reactions of the louder students. Reflective teaching therefore implies a more systematic process of collecting, recording and analysing our thoughts and observations, as well as those of our students, and then going on to making changes.
Beginning the process of reflection
You may begin a process of reflection in response to a particular problem that has arisen with one or your classes, or simply as a way of finding out more about your teaching. You may decide to focus on a particular class of students, or to look at a feature of your teaching - for example how you deal with incidents of misbehaviour or how you can encourage your students to speak more English in class.
The first step is to gather information about what happens in the class. Here are some different ways of doing this.
Teacher diary
This is the easiest way to begin a process of reflection since it is purely personal. After each lesson you write in a notebook about what happened. You may also describe your own reactions and feelings and those you observed on the part of the students. You are likely to begin to pose questions about what you have observed. Diary writing does require a certain discipline in taking the time to do it on a regular basis.
Here are some suggestions for areas to focus on to help you start your diary.
Download diary suggestions 51k
Peer observation
Invite a colleague to come into your class to collect information about your lesson. This may be with a simple observation task or through note taking. This will relate back to the area you have identified to reflect upon. For example, you might ask your colleague to focus on which students contribute most in the lesson, what different patterns of interaction occur or how you deal with errors.
Recording lessons
Video or audio recordings of lessons can provide very useful information for reflection. You may do things in class you are not aware of or there may be things happening in the class that as the teacher you do not normally see.
Student feedback
You can also ask your students what they think about what goes on in the classroom. Their opinions and perceptions can add a different and valuable perspective. This can be done with simple questionnaires or learning diaries for example.
What to do next
Once you have some information recorded about what goes on in your classroom, what do you do?
Conclusion
Reflective teaching is a cyclical process, because once you start to implement changes, then the reflective and evaluative cycle begins again.
As a result of your reflection you may decide to do something in a different way, or you may just decide that what you are doing is the best way. And that is what professional development is all about.
Julie Tice, Teacher, Trainer, Writer, British Council Lisbon
By collecting information about what goes on in our classroom, and by analysing and evaluating this information, we identify and explore our own practices and underlying beliefs. This may then lead to changes and improvements in our teaching.
Reflective teaching is therefore a means of professional development which begins in our classroom.
- Why it is important
- Beginning the process of reflection
- Teacher diary
- Peer observation
- Recording lessons
- Student feedback
- What to do next
- Think
- Talk
- Read
- Ask
- Conclusion
Why it is important
Many teachers already think about their teaching and talk to colleagues about it too. You might think or tell someone that "My lesson went well" or "My students didn't seem to understand" or "My students were so badly behaved today."
However, without more time spent focussing on or discussing what has happened, we may tend to jump to conclusions about why things are happening. We may only notice reactions of the louder students. Reflective teaching therefore implies a more systematic process of collecting, recording and analysing our thoughts and observations, as well as those of our students, and then going on to making changes.
- If a lesson went well we can describe it and think about why it was successful.
- If the students didn't understand a language point we introduced we need to think about what we did and why it may have been unclear.
- If students are misbehaving - what were they doing, when and why?
Beginning the process of reflection
You may begin a process of reflection in response to a particular problem that has arisen with one or your classes, or simply as a way of finding out more about your teaching. You may decide to focus on a particular class of students, or to look at a feature of your teaching - for example how you deal with incidents of misbehaviour or how you can encourage your students to speak more English in class.
The first step is to gather information about what happens in the class. Here are some different ways of doing this.
Teacher diary
This is the easiest way to begin a process of reflection since it is purely personal. After each lesson you write in a notebook about what happened. You may also describe your own reactions and feelings and those you observed on the part of the students. You are likely to begin to pose questions about what you have observed. Diary writing does require a certain discipline in taking the time to do it on a regular basis.
Here are some suggestions for areas to focus on to help you start your diary.
Download diary suggestions 51k
Peer observation
Invite a colleague to come into your class to collect information about your lesson. This may be with a simple observation task or through note taking. This will relate back to the area you have identified to reflect upon. For example, you might ask your colleague to focus on which students contribute most in the lesson, what different patterns of interaction occur or how you deal with errors.
Recording lessons
Video or audio recordings of lessons can provide very useful information for reflection. You may do things in class you are not aware of or there may be things happening in the class that as the teacher you do not normally see.
- Audio recordings can be useful for considering aspects of teacher talk.
- How much do you talk?
- What about?
- Are instructions and explanations clear?
- How much time do you allocate to student talk?
- How do you respond to student talk?
- Video recordings can be useful in showing you aspects of your own behaviour.
- Where do you stand?
- Who do you speak to?
- How do you come across to the students?
Student feedback
You can also ask your students what they think about what goes on in the classroom. Their opinions and perceptions can add a different and valuable perspective. This can be done with simple questionnaires or learning diaries for example.
What to do next
Once you have some information recorded about what goes on in your classroom, what do you do?
- Think
You may have noticed patterns occurring in your teaching through your observation. You may also have noticed things that you were previously unaware of. You may have been surprised by some of your students' feedback. You may already have ideas for changes to implement.
- Talk
Just by talking about what you have discovered - to a supportive colleague or even a friend - you may be able to come up with some ideas for how to do things differently.- If you have colleagues who also wish to develop their teaching using reflection as a tool, you can meet to discuss issues. Discussion can be based around scenarios from your own classes.
- Using a list of statements about teaching beliefs (for example, pairwork is a valuable activity in the language class or lexis is more important than grammar) you can discuss which ones you agree or disagree with, and which ones are reflected in your own teaching giving evidence from your self-observation.
- Read
You may decide that you need to find out more about a certain area. There are plenty of websites for teachers of English now where you can find useful teaching ideas, or more academic articles. There are also magazines for teachers where you can find articles on a wide range of topics. Or if you have access to a library or bookshop, there are plenty of books for English language teachers.
- Ask
Pose questions to websites or magazines to get ideas from other teachers. Or if you have a local teachers' association or other opportunities for in-service training, ask for a session on an area that interests you.
Conclusion
Reflective teaching is a cyclical process, because once you start to implement changes, then the reflective and evaluative cycle begins again.
- What are you doing?
- Why are you doing it?
- How effective is it?
- How are the students responding?
- How can you do it better?
As a result of your reflection you may decide to do something in a different way, or you may just decide that what you are doing is the best way. And that is what professional development is all about.
Julie Tice, Teacher, Trainer, Writer, British Council Lisbon
Are You A Reflective Teacher?
by TeachThought Staff
So this #reflectiveteacher blogging challenge for teachers has been quite a revelation. The desire for teachers to reflect, connect, and share their ideas has been–truly–a beautiful thing.
As a staff, we’ve been moved not just by teachers’ willingness to merely participate, but the nature of that participation.
We have teachers that had never blogged before–nor knew how to set one up–that have blogged together now for 10 days and counting–every day, checking the prompt and investing themselves in the process.
But more important than the process is the depth and authenticity of the reflection–brutally honest at times.
Teachers that look around them and see an “average” classroom.
Teachers that are unsure of their role in a modern learning process, or their own training.
Rebellious teachers, creative teachers, passionate teachers, tired teachers–every challenge you have to overcome, somewhere in the world is another teacher working to overcome it as well.
Reflection is a critical part of growth, and so it shouldn’t be surprising to see growth-minded TeachThought teachers being so, well, reflective, but to see it on this scale has been humbling, and inspiring to us as a staff.
Whether you blog once or daily; whether you tweet it or just think it; whether you barely get a paragraph down, or end up with closer to 500 words for each prompt, the idea is the same–reflection. Self-evaluation. Growth.
A 30 day challenge is a grind, especially the first month of the school year. Anything you get done is better than what you’d have otherwise done. Hopefully, just reading other #reflectiveteacher’s sharing their own thoughts will be enough to encourage you to be more reflective this year about your craft, and your role in an increasingly dynamic process.
We’ve included just a small sampling of the twitter usernames of those that have participated in the process above. To each of you, and all the others not listed, thank you for your effort, energy, and affection.
by TeachThought Staff
So this #reflectiveteacher blogging challenge for teachers has been quite a revelation. The desire for teachers to reflect, connect, and share their ideas has been–truly–a beautiful thing.
As a staff, we’ve been moved not just by teachers’ willingness to merely participate, but the nature of that participation.
We have teachers that had never blogged before–nor knew how to set one up–that have blogged together now for 10 days and counting–every day, checking the prompt and investing themselves in the process.
But more important than the process is the depth and authenticity of the reflection–brutally honest at times.
Teachers that look around them and see an “average” classroom.
Teachers that are unsure of their role in a modern learning process, or their own training.
Rebellious teachers, creative teachers, passionate teachers, tired teachers–every challenge you have to overcome, somewhere in the world is another teacher working to overcome it as well.
Reflection is a critical part of growth, and so it shouldn’t be surprising to see growth-minded TeachThought teachers being so, well, reflective, but to see it on this scale has been humbling, and inspiring to us as a staff.
Whether you blog once or daily; whether you tweet it or just think it; whether you barely get a paragraph down, or end up with closer to 500 words for each prompt, the idea is the same–reflection. Self-evaluation. Growth.
A 30 day challenge is a grind, especially the first month of the school year. Anything you get done is better than what you’d have otherwise done. Hopefully, just reading other #reflectiveteacher’s sharing their own thoughts will be enough to encourage you to be more reflective this year about your craft, and your role in an increasingly dynamic process.
We’ve included just a small sampling of the twitter usernames of those that have participated in the process above. To each of you, and all the others not listed, thank you for your effort, energy, and affection.
Reflective Teaching: A 30-Day Blogging Challenge For Teachers
What Is Reflective Teaching And Why Is It Important?
Posted in Reflections about Education, Teacher Development by Roseli Serra
“Teachers are the busiest professionals on Earth”. “Teachers never stop working”.
How many times have you heard statements like those above? I bet many times.
And how many times have you stopped to reflect upon your teaching practice? Have you ever done it? How? What was the last time you’ve been observed? What was the last time you observed a friend?
You may think: Why so many questions? What does it all have to do with reflective teaching?
I’ve noticed that a lot has been discussed about critical thinking regarding our students learning process. What about reflecting on our teaching process? Have we reflected on it?
Reflective teaching is a personal tool that teachers can use to observe and evaluate the way they behave in their classroom. It can be both a private process as well as one that you discuss with colleagues. When you collect information regarding what went on in your classroom and take the time to analyse it from a distance, you can identify more than just what worked and what didn’t. You will be able to look at the underlying principles and beliefs that define the way that you work. This kind of self-awareness is a powerful ally for a teacher, especially when so much of what and how they teach can change in the moment.
Reflective teaching is about more than just summarizing what happened in the classroom. If you spend all your time discussing the events of the lesson, it’s possible to jump to abrupt conclusions about why things happened as they did.
Reflective teaching is a quieter and more systemic approach to looking at what happened. It requires patience, and careful observation of the entire lesson’s experience.
According to Jack Richards, reflection or “critical reflection, refers to an activity or process in which an experience is recalled, considered, and evaluated, usually in relation to a broader purpose. It is a response to past experience and involves conscious recall and examination of the experience as a basis for evaluation and decision-making and as a source for planning and action. (Richard 1990)
Bartlett (1990) points out that becoming a reflective teacher involves moving beyond a primary concern with instructional techniques and “how to” questions and asking “what” and “why” questions that regard instructions and managerial techniques not as ends in themselves, but as part of broader educational purposes. Asking “what and why” questions give us a certain power over our teaching. We could claim that the degree of autonomy and responsibility we have in our work as teachers is determined by the level of control we can exercise over our actions. In reflecting on the above kind of questions, we begin to exercise control and open up the possibility of transforming our everyday classroom life. (Bartlett, 1990. 267)
The process of reflective teaching supports the development and maintenance of professional expertise. We can conceptualise successive levels of expertise in teaching – those that student-teachers may attain at the beginning, middle and end of their courses; those of the new teacher after their induction to full-time school life; and those of the experienced, expert teacher. Given the nature of teaching, professional development and learning should never stop.
How does reflection take place?
Many different approaches can be employed if one wishes to become a critically reflective teacher, including observation of oneself and others, team teaching, and exploring one’s view of teaching through writing.
Approaches to Critical reflection:
Peer Observation – Peer observation can provide opportunities for teachers to view each other’s teaching in order to expose them to different teaching styles and to provide opportunities for critical reflection on their own teaching. Some suggestions for peer observation:
1. Each participant would both observe and be observed – Teachers would work in pairs and take turns observing each other’s classes.
2. Pre-observation orientation session – Prior to each observation, the two teachers would meet to discuss the nature of the class to be observed, the kind of material being taught, the teachers’ approach to teaching, the kinds of students in the class, typical patterns of interaction and class participation, and any problems that might be expected. The teacher being observed would also assign the observer a goal for the observation and a task to accomplish. The task would involve collecting information about some aspect of the lesson, but would not include any evaluation of the lesson. Observation procedures or instruments to be used would be agreed upon during this session and a schedule for the observations arranged.
3. The observation -The observer would then visit his or her partner’s class and complete the observation using the procedures that both partners had agreed on.
4. Post-observation: The two teachers would meet as soon as possible after the lesson. The observer would report on the information that had been collected and discuss it with the teacher (Richards and Lockhart, 1991).
Benefits:
The teachers identify a variety of different aspects of their lessons for their partners to observe and collect information on. These include organization of the lesson, teacher’s time management, students’ performance on tasks, time-on-task, teacher questions and student responses, student performance during pair work, classroom interaction, class performance during a new teaching activity, and students’ use of the first language or English during group work.
The teachers gain a number of insights about their own teaching from their colleague’s observations and that they would like to use peer observation on a regular basis. They may also obtain new insights into aspects of their teaching.
Written accounts of experiences
Another useful way of engaging in the reflective process is through the use of written accounts of experiences. (Powell 1985) and their potential is increasingly being recognized in teacher education. A number of different approaches can be used.
Self-Reports – Self-reporting involves completing an inventory or check list in which the teacher indicates which teaching practices were used within a lesson or within a specified time period and how often they were employed (Pak, 1985).
Self-reporting allows teachers to make a regular assessment of what they are doing in the classroom. They can check to see to what extent their assumptions about their own teaching are reflected in their actual teaching practices.
Journal Writing
A procedure which is becoming more widely acknowledged as a valuable tool for developing critical reflection is the journal or diary. The goals of journal writing are:
1. To provide a record of the significant learning experiences that have taken place
2. To help the participant come into touch and keep in touch with the self-development process that is taking place for them
3. To provide the participants with an opportunity to express, in a personal and dynamic way, their self-development
4. To foster a creative interaction
• between the participant and the self-development process that is taking lace
• between the participant and other participants who are also in the process of self-development
• between the participant and the facilitator whose role it is to foster such development (Powell, 1985, Bailey, 1990)
Recording Lessons
For many aspects of teaching, audio or video recording of lessons can also provide a basis for reflection. While there are many useful insights to be gained from diaries and self-reports, they cannot capture the moment to moment processes of teaching. Many things happen simultaneously in a classroom, and some aspects of a lesson cannot be recalled. It would be of little value for example, to attempt to recall the proportion of Yes-No Questions to WH-Questions a teacher used during a lesson, or to estimate the degree to which teacher time was shared among higher and lower ability students. Many significant classroom events may not have been observed by the teacher, let alone remembered, hence the need to supplement diaries or self-reports with recordings of actual lessons.
Conclusion:
A reflective approach to teaching involves changes in the way we usually perceive teaching and our role in the process of teaching. Teachers who explore their own teaching through critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide their students. Like other forms of self-inquiry, reflective teaching is not without its risks, since journal writing, self-reporting or making recordings of lessons can be time-consuming. However teachers engaged in reflective analysis of their own teaching report that it is a valuable tool for self-evaluation and professional growth. Reflective teaching suggests that experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience coupled with reflection can be a powerful impetus for teacher development.
You might find, as you progress, that there is an area of knowledge you need to know more about. So never be afraid to ask for help or advice. There’s nothing wrong with asking, “How can I do it better?” Doing this is not a sign of being an underwhelming teacher; in fact it’s quite the opposite: It shows you are brave and professional.
Enjoy your teaching!
Posted in Reflections about Education, Teacher Development by Roseli Serra
“Teachers are the busiest professionals on Earth”. “Teachers never stop working”.
How many times have you heard statements like those above? I bet many times.
And how many times have you stopped to reflect upon your teaching practice? Have you ever done it? How? What was the last time you’ve been observed? What was the last time you observed a friend?
You may think: Why so many questions? What does it all have to do with reflective teaching?
I’ve noticed that a lot has been discussed about critical thinking regarding our students learning process. What about reflecting on our teaching process? Have we reflected on it?
Reflective teaching is a personal tool that teachers can use to observe and evaluate the way they behave in their classroom. It can be both a private process as well as one that you discuss with colleagues. When you collect information regarding what went on in your classroom and take the time to analyse it from a distance, you can identify more than just what worked and what didn’t. You will be able to look at the underlying principles and beliefs that define the way that you work. This kind of self-awareness is a powerful ally for a teacher, especially when so much of what and how they teach can change in the moment.
Reflective teaching is about more than just summarizing what happened in the classroom. If you spend all your time discussing the events of the lesson, it’s possible to jump to abrupt conclusions about why things happened as they did.
Reflective teaching is a quieter and more systemic approach to looking at what happened. It requires patience, and careful observation of the entire lesson’s experience.
According to Jack Richards, reflection or “critical reflection, refers to an activity or process in which an experience is recalled, considered, and evaluated, usually in relation to a broader purpose. It is a response to past experience and involves conscious recall and examination of the experience as a basis for evaluation and decision-making and as a source for planning and action. (Richard 1990)
Bartlett (1990) points out that becoming a reflective teacher involves moving beyond a primary concern with instructional techniques and “how to” questions and asking “what” and “why” questions that regard instructions and managerial techniques not as ends in themselves, but as part of broader educational purposes. Asking “what and why” questions give us a certain power over our teaching. We could claim that the degree of autonomy and responsibility we have in our work as teachers is determined by the level of control we can exercise over our actions. In reflecting on the above kind of questions, we begin to exercise control and open up the possibility of transforming our everyday classroom life. (Bartlett, 1990. 267)
The process of reflective teaching supports the development and maintenance of professional expertise. We can conceptualise successive levels of expertise in teaching – those that student-teachers may attain at the beginning, middle and end of their courses; those of the new teacher after their induction to full-time school life; and those of the experienced, expert teacher. Given the nature of teaching, professional development and learning should never stop.
How does reflection take place?
Many different approaches can be employed if one wishes to become a critically reflective teacher, including observation of oneself and others, team teaching, and exploring one’s view of teaching through writing.
Approaches to Critical reflection:
Peer Observation – Peer observation can provide opportunities for teachers to view each other’s teaching in order to expose them to different teaching styles and to provide opportunities for critical reflection on their own teaching. Some suggestions for peer observation:
1. Each participant would both observe and be observed – Teachers would work in pairs and take turns observing each other’s classes.
2. Pre-observation orientation session – Prior to each observation, the two teachers would meet to discuss the nature of the class to be observed, the kind of material being taught, the teachers’ approach to teaching, the kinds of students in the class, typical patterns of interaction and class participation, and any problems that might be expected. The teacher being observed would also assign the observer a goal for the observation and a task to accomplish. The task would involve collecting information about some aspect of the lesson, but would not include any evaluation of the lesson. Observation procedures or instruments to be used would be agreed upon during this session and a schedule for the observations arranged.
3. The observation -The observer would then visit his or her partner’s class and complete the observation using the procedures that both partners had agreed on.
4. Post-observation: The two teachers would meet as soon as possible after the lesson. The observer would report on the information that had been collected and discuss it with the teacher (Richards and Lockhart, 1991).
Benefits:
The teachers identify a variety of different aspects of their lessons for their partners to observe and collect information on. These include organization of the lesson, teacher’s time management, students’ performance on tasks, time-on-task, teacher questions and student responses, student performance during pair work, classroom interaction, class performance during a new teaching activity, and students’ use of the first language or English during group work.
The teachers gain a number of insights about their own teaching from their colleague’s observations and that they would like to use peer observation on a regular basis. They may also obtain new insights into aspects of their teaching.
Written accounts of experiences
Another useful way of engaging in the reflective process is through the use of written accounts of experiences. (Powell 1985) and their potential is increasingly being recognized in teacher education. A number of different approaches can be used.
Self-Reports – Self-reporting involves completing an inventory or check list in which the teacher indicates which teaching practices were used within a lesson or within a specified time period and how often they were employed (Pak, 1985).
Self-reporting allows teachers to make a regular assessment of what they are doing in the classroom. They can check to see to what extent their assumptions about their own teaching are reflected in their actual teaching practices.
Journal Writing
A procedure which is becoming more widely acknowledged as a valuable tool for developing critical reflection is the journal or diary. The goals of journal writing are:
1. To provide a record of the significant learning experiences that have taken place
2. To help the participant come into touch and keep in touch with the self-development process that is taking place for them
3. To provide the participants with an opportunity to express, in a personal and dynamic way, their self-development
4. To foster a creative interaction
• between the participant and the self-development process that is taking lace
• between the participant and other participants who are also in the process of self-development
• between the participant and the facilitator whose role it is to foster such development (Powell, 1985, Bailey, 1990)
Recording Lessons
For many aspects of teaching, audio or video recording of lessons can also provide a basis for reflection. While there are many useful insights to be gained from diaries and self-reports, they cannot capture the moment to moment processes of teaching. Many things happen simultaneously in a classroom, and some aspects of a lesson cannot be recalled. It would be of little value for example, to attempt to recall the proportion of Yes-No Questions to WH-Questions a teacher used during a lesson, or to estimate the degree to which teacher time was shared among higher and lower ability students. Many significant classroom events may not have been observed by the teacher, let alone remembered, hence the need to supplement diaries or self-reports with recordings of actual lessons.
Conclusion:
A reflective approach to teaching involves changes in the way we usually perceive teaching and our role in the process of teaching. Teachers who explore their own teaching through critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide their students. Like other forms of self-inquiry, reflective teaching is not without its risks, since journal writing, self-reporting or making recordings of lessons can be time-consuming. However teachers engaged in reflective analysis of their own teaching report that it is a valuable tool for self-evaluation and professional growth. Reflective teaching suggests that experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience coupled with reflection can be a powerful impetus for teacher development.
You might find, as you progress, that there is an area of knowledge you need to know more about. So never be afraid to ask for help or advice. There’s nothing wrong with asking, “How can I do it better?” Doing this is not a sign of being an underwhelming teacher; in fact it’s quite the opposite: It shows you are brave and professional.
Enjoy your teaching!
The Characteristics of Reflective Teacher Based on Dewey's Concept of Reflective Thinking
The Reflective Teacher
10 Self-Reflective Questions Teachers Can Debrief With Every Day
by Lee Watanabe-Crockett | Jul 11, 2018 | Essential Questions
For a long time we’ve advocated the use of self-reflective questions with our learners as a way for them to debrief their learning processes in the classroom in order to improve and grow. This is just as useful a practice for teachers as it is for learners, because in many ways teachers are still learners themselves. What self-reflective questions can teachers use for the same purposes? We’ve got some ideas below, but first, let’s talk about why self-reflection is so crucial a practice in teaching, learning, and life.
Someone once asked veteran actor Sidney Poitier what his biggest goal in life was. He responded by saying, “to simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed.” How does one actually do this, actually wake up better than they were the day before?
Keep in mind this is the Academy award-winning superstar who was told by a casting director after his first audition that he should give up and go wash dishes for a living. What Poitier can teach us here is that a big part of benefitting from self-reflection is in having the proper attitude.
Let’s be clear about one thing: whatever you may be, the only one who can dictate your attitude about anything is you.
But what does all this have to do with teaching and using self-reflective questions? Because pinpointing our attitudes and outlook on our experiences is what reflective questioning is all about. We don’t debrief to punish ourselves or succumb to another’s opinion of who we are or what we can do. Reflective questions allow us to see past negativity and circumstance and ask ourselves, “how can I do even better next time?”
We do a grave disservice to our students as teachers if we deny them the opportunity to use reflective questions for self-assessment and improvement. By the same token, we must give ourselves permission to do the same thing. When it comes to a profession as challenging as teaching is, asking the right self-reflective questions can help you determine many useful things including:
10 Self-Reflective Questions for Every Teacher
Someone once asked veteran actor Sidney Poitier what his biggest goal in life was. He responded by saying, “to simply wake up every morning a better person than when I went to bed.” How does one actually do this, actually wake up better than they were the day before?
Keep in mind this is the Academy award-winning superstar who was told by a casting director after his first audition that he should give up and go wash dishes for a living. What Poitier can teach us here is that a big part of benefitting from self-reflection is in having the proper attitude.
Let’s be clear about one thing: whatever you may be, the only one who can dictate your attitude about anything is you.
But what does all this have to do with teaching and using self-reflective questions? Because pinpointing our attitudes and outlook on our experiences is what reflective questioning is all about. We don’t debrief to punish ourselves or succumb to another’s opinion of who we are or what we can do. Reflective questions allow us to see past negativity and circumstance and ask ourselves, “how can I do even better next time?”
We do a grave disservice to our students as teachers if we deny them the opportunity to use reflective questions for self-assessment and improvement. By the same token, we must give ourselves permission to do the same thing. When it comes to a profession as challenging as teaching is, asking the right self-reflective questions can help you determine many useful things including:
- what works and doesn’t work in your classroom
- where your biggest challenges are and how to overcome them
- how you can improve professional development
- what you are most fearful of in your profession and how to face it
- where you are bringing undue stress upon yourself
- how you can better foster relationships with learners/parents/administrators/colleagues
10 Self-Reflective Questions for Every Teacher
- What was my best moment today and how can I have more moments like it?
- What was my most challenging moment and why? How will I respond next time?
- Were my students excited to be in class? If not, what can I do to change this?
- How was my mood with others today and how can I improve it?
- How well did I communicate with others today and how can I do this better?
- In what ways did my students surprise me most today?
- How did I support my colleagues today and how will I continue to do so?
- What are the biggest obstacles to improving my practice and how will I overcome them?
- What did I do today for myself and why is this important?
- What do I want everyone to be able to say about me at the end of the day tomorrow?
Some great ideas for self reflection above. The problem is - PRACTICALITY. If any teacher did the 10 they would probably get little or no sleep. so I reduce the process to 2 all-encompassing questions (well that's the hope) Q1 What went well today? ( elements of 1, 3, 5, and 6) and Q2 What could i do to improve tomorrow?( Qs 2,4, 5, and 8) That seems to be enough for most and it is relatively easy to do - thus, there is more chance of it being done and the value is achieved with minimal effort and in an amount of time that is acceptable. Q 1 allows a positive loop that encourages effective strategies to be repeated and Q 2 focuses on improvement.