Reflective Teaching: The Importance Of Reflective Teaching

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As a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, I have learned the importance of reflecting on what I have learned. As a teacher, I believe that all students are teachable and that my teaching has a direct impact on their learning. I know that I will have some successful lessons and some ineffective lessons. Therefore, it is essential that I use reflective teaching. Reflective teaching means that I am constantly collecting, recording, and analyzing my strengths and weaknesses in the classroom. A good way of doing this is to create a teacher diary to write in regularly and/or create student surveys. So after student teaching for three weeks in a fifth grade classroom, I asked my students to complete a survey about my teaching skills. I told them that they did not have to write their names on the survey, so that they would be completely honest with their comments. All of the students seemed to agree that my lessons were fun, interesting, and taught in a way that they could understand them. Since I know that 95% of the students will never study for a test at home, I try to repeat the information several times in various ways. I …show more content…

It also exposes the areas in my teaching that need to be improved. After each day or lesson, it is essential to look back and think about what was effective and what was not effective during a lesson. I will use a daily diary or log to write my reflections. I will also ask my students to help me analyze my teaching and lessons through verbal conversations and written surveys. This will not only help me, but it will also get the students involved in making decisions about their learning. One of the best ways to evaluate my teaching is to look at the grades of students’ work and tests. If the majority of the class is failing, then it is time to talk to students, consult with coworkers, and take a different

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