One way for teachers to ensure that they meet their teaching and learning goals and continue to grow professionally is to practice reflective teaching.
Reflective thinking in teaching is associated with the work of Dewey (1933. 1938), who suggested that reflection begins with a dilemma. Effective teachers suspend making conclusions about a dilemma in order to gather information, study the problem, gain new knowledge and come to a sound decision. In the 1970s, Lortie (1975) described how failing to reflect on teaching decisions leads to teaching by limitation rather than intentionality. Other researchers (Clift, Houston and Pugach. 1990; Hargreaves and Fullan. 1992) have reinforced how important it is for teachers to examine their own beliefs about their classroom practices.
Reflecting on our own practices is important because it allows us to assess what we are doing well, identify areas where we need improvement or guidance to ensure that we are performing to the best we can and meeting, even exceeding all standards and expectations. As humans, we naturally reflect on our surroundings and experiences. When we reflect, we step back and think of the present situation, relate it to the past and construct meaning and knowledge that directs action in practice.
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The specific events in the past to where we reflected serve as a foundation of a deeper and unconscious competence in reflection. To deal with the present, we do relate our analysis and actions either with the conscientious good or with our experiences. It is a deliberate process of trying, sometimes failing, trying again, becoming confident until it eventually becomes an unconscious process. When we persistently reflect, this process becomes instinct but not an end itself as it continually evolves and progress with the new learning that comes on our
The way I reflect on work activities is by firstly looking at the way the situation or work was approached, then considering the effect of it and then making an honest assessment of the quality of work that I produced. Regular reflection is carried out by using a structured approach such as keeping a reflective journal, by asking myself reflective questions the activities are descriptive, I analyse and make a theory of the situation or activities always seeking
Reflection, as explained by Moon (2013), is the process of looking back on an event or experience and thinking about it and learning from it. Reflection, which is learning through experience, is not a new concept. As humans, we naturally reflect on our surroundings and experiences on a day to day basis in order to make sense of them. (Norman, Vleuten and Newble, 2002). In a professional context, reflation is vital for a practitioner to learn and improve their practice. By using their own experiences, practitioners are able to analysis, and in turn, adapt or improve specific areas of practice
Reflection is turning experience into Learning. Reflection is a conscious, dynamic process of thinking about, analysing, and learning from an experience that gives insight into self and practice.
One reason for Reflection being used is to give practitioners the chance to change an aspect within their setting, which they feel can be improved in order to help the development of children within their practice. Reflective practice is about improving practice and coming up with theories to support the improvement (Holmes, 2011, p.7). Reflective practice using critical reflection will allow the practitioners to identify what they do well and what they need to improve on within their Early Years settings. It can also give practitioners the opportunity to develop their professional identity, and work at improving their working environment (Forde et al, 2006, p.65, 66). By allowing practitioners the chance to improve their working environment, it can have a huge influence on the children and their development within the Early Years. For example, a teacher looking back and being reflective over their lesson, will allow them to make amelioration for when they teach that lesson again, thus leading to further learning development of the
Reflection is a key element of the human learning process. It can be used to justify aspects of practice and legitimise the knowledge gained from it, as opposed to traditional forms of learning.
Emma Goldman says that the current institutions not only prevent men from being rational but they in fact promote estrangement. One of the arguments that human nature is inherently evil is the existence of crime, an argument which Goldman emphatically refuses and blames on the institutions (Goldman, 114). “Laws, police, soldiers, the courts, legislatures, prisons, - is strenuously engaged in ‘harmonizing’ the most antagonistic elements of society” (Goldman, 59) She believes this is true because they help monopolize the world by protecting a privileged minority and by giving an advantage to some people over the other they are causing estrangement through social class difference. If humans are estrange in essence, the evil in human is nurtured
“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival” (Aristotle, n.d.) Reflection is a process that begins with looking back on a situation, thinking about it, learning from it and then using the new knowledge to help you in similar situations in the future. We need to evaluate through reflection to determine whether change is needed. We can then decide what action is needed and what we should do the next time we are faced with a similar situation. It might not necessarily be something you have done wrong, it may well be you were happy with the outcome of a situation you had some input into and would do again.
future actions and responses. In health, reflection is essential as it improves the actions of a
Let me say personally, reflective practices therefore imply more systematic process in terms of collecting, recording, and analyzing teachers’ thoughts and observations, as well as those of their students, and then going on to make changes towards teachers' professional development for a better teaching skills. All in all, I can say that reflective practice is important because it helps teachers to make more informed decisions about their teaching skills which are basically based on solid evidence that thoroughly collected over a period of
As it mentioned above this reflective essay is based on the main theory on Reflection, which is the Honey and Mumford’s learning styles that was developed from Kolb’s work. This is based on four stages of specific styles of learning:
Using reflective practice comes with many benefits to not only the coach’s coaching ability, but to their overall development as a learner as well as a teacher. Improving confidence and competence is one of the biggest benefits of using RP, also to learn new information and learn from others to expand knowledge. Becoming more aware of the coach’s strengths and limitations helps organise the coach’s priorities and set new developmental goals in which the coach can progress with their
The intention of reflective practice is to help the teacher/learning coach evolve and develop the quality of their teaching by the continuation of personal development. Although most teachers have done this for years, reflective modelling or methods have formulized a structure which can be followed and adapted to best suit their methods. It is an ongoing process which takes feelings and emotions into consideration and so it will not always have a definitive answer/ending. Since most models of reflection require subjective and objective thinking then there is a willingness to be honest to engage constant self appraisal. It asks that the teacher become flexible analytical and socially aware when addressing their chosen model of reflection.
Through the certification process, candidates must compile a portfolio with various pieces of evidence related to general teaching practices and their specific content area. There are videos of whole group and small group lessons, analysis of student work samples and inclusion of artifacts of leadership, professional learning, community involvement and communication that must demonstrate consistent and continuous growth. Throughout the process, you are required to think about what you teach, how you teach and why you teach it a certain way. This constant reflection was revolutionary in my teaching methodology. I knew what metacognition meant but the act of writing it out and defending my thought processes clarified my reasoning and helped me to see patterns that needed to change. As teachers, we constantly reflect on our teaching but until it is articulated, those ideas tend to be nebulous and easily dissolve in the daily duties of our regular lives. I never would have realized the power that the word “because” has until it links a lesson to a child, standard, or
Marcos, J.M., Sanchez, E., Tillema, H.H. (2011). Teacher Reflection: What is said to be done. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 37(1), p.21-36.
Don't try to change everything immediately. And the more reflective you become, the more you will notice. Take it one day at a time. The greatest reward of becoming a reflective practitioner is that you become aware of how insightful and capable your students are. All teachers can develop habits of mind conducive to effective decision making.