Standard 6: Reflective practice in diverse settings
Educators should continually reflect on their practice to extend their knowledge, improve their teaching, and refine their evolving philosophies of education. They should stay abreast of developments in the profession, and be able to think critically about various teaching practices. Educators should continually strengthen their knowledge of subject matter through scholarly study, professional reading, and discussion with colleagues. They should deepen their understanding of children’s learning and development through classroom-based action research. Educators should be open to change and innovation, continually engaging in the process of professional growth.
One of the important aspects of being a successful teacher is being able to reflect on your own work and the work of others. By reviewing work, teachers are able to improve and better teach their students. After each lesson or at the end of the day, it is good for teachers to look back and think what could I have done better? What really worked with the students? Did the students get anything out of the lesson or were they lost? Have any students improved? Reflection can happen in many different ways for teachers. It can be as simple as a teacher making notes about students on post-its throughout the day, getting feedback from others, or even by watching a video of yourself teaching and reviewing it afterwards.
According to Zeichner & Liston in Teachers’ Pedagogical Thinking: Theoretical Landscapes, Practical Challenges, , there is an order to reflection. First is Factual which discusses “what has occurred in a teaching situation or what has happened before or what will occur in the future.””. Next is Evaluative where teachers think of what could have been done and what has been accomplished. Third is Justificatory which focuses on the evidence. Why did things play out the way they did? Lastly is Critical where the teacher “assesses the values and assumptions embedded in the form and content of curriculum in instructional practices” (In Kansanen, 2000, p.131). These are important steps that teachers should take when reflecting on their teaching. Reflection isn’t just looking at what was good and what was bad in your teaching, but also thinking about how to improve in the future, and what has been accomplished.
During my pre-practicum experience at The Manning School in Jamaica Plain, I taught a math lesson on different types of measurement. I had another teacher record me teaching this lesson so I could look back and reflect on my teaching and what I would have done differently. This was the first time I had ever got to watch myself teach. While watching the video, I looked at myself through a few different lenses. First I looked at it through a teacher’s eyes. Did I say everything I wanted to? Did I meet the objectives? Next, I looked at the video through the eyes of a student. Was the lesson engaging? Did the students seem to understand it? I noticed vocabulary, for example, that I could have changed to help my fourth graders understand the lesson better. I also noticed that when explaining how many centimeters are in a meter, the students really benefited from my comparisons to other words with ‘cent’ in them, and how many equaled a whole part such as how many cents in a dollar. This explanation helped the students really understand how many centimeters were in a meter. In appendix 6A is a portion of my filmed lesson.
Throughout both of my practicums, I have been observed several times. . One of my favorite things about getting observed is having a three way conversation after the Lesson. My supervisor, supervising practitioner, and I all share our collective thoughts on the lesson and how we think it went. Seeing and learning from everyone’s different perspectives has really helped me become a more effective teacher. By having three people observe the lesson and watch the students, I benefit from everyone’s perspectives. After three- way meetings, I receive formalized notes about my lesson with positive things, things that could have gone better, and overall thoughts on the lesson. Each time I receive feedback, I look it over and strive to be more effective the following time. In Appendix 6B is my last observation from my pre-practicum from April 2013 and in Appendix 6C is my last observation from my full time practicum from December 2013. By looking at both of these, I am able to see growth and also what I might need to work on next.
I have really liked looking back at lessons I have taught and making notes about what worked or who is struggling. While reading a total of four books with my reading group in the fall, I was able to see which students excelled at which genres and which authors some students found easy or more difficult to read. For example, one of the students in my group lives in Ireland for the summer so Roald Dahl’s British phrases made sense to her and she could help others understand them. Through reflection you are not only able to learn about yourself as a teacher, but also about students. Having a good understanding of yourself and your students helps make for a successful classroom.
References
Kansanen, P. (2000). Teachers' pedagogical thinking theoretical landscapes, practical challenges. New York: P. Lang.
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