Reflective Teachers

Two main questions come to mind as I think about this practice: why is it necessary, and how do we reflect critically?

A lesson plan usually includes a section for lesson evaluation at the end. From day one, I have been told that this section MUST be filled for a number of reasons: to please the Inspectorate, as a form of a checklist for what went as planned and otherwise, and to form reminders for the teacher to follow-up on in the next lesson. When I tried looking at examples completed by my colleagues, they simply included statements such as ‘Completed the task successfully’ and ‘Did corrections’. That was the influence on my approach towards completing the evaluation section. I also often used the space to evaluate my students’ performance in class.

In my practicum last semester, I carried on in this manner not facing any problems previously. My Learning Area Tutor, however, commented that the evaluation should assess my teaching and serve as a form of self-reflection. This was rather profound for me and made a lot more sense than what I had originally been (mis)informed. With a shift in my understanding, I spent more time looking at the learning objectives of my lessons and seriously considering whether I had achieved them through my teaching. Additionally, I also thought about how I could improve on certain areas and what other strategies I should try in the lessons that followed. This also included redesigning group activities or rephrasing questions in the tasks I assign, and even clarifying assumptions. The time spent reflecting, pondering on the lesson that had passed made way for even more thinking and identifying my own professional needs.

Apart from reflecting on personal lessons and peer observations, I have also learnt to consider my students’ feedback. In my final week, I distributed feedback forms to my students and asked them to complete the forms. The responses were very encouraging and served to support my teaching approach. It also helped to point out what helped and worked for the students.

Wong and Chai (2008, p.291) believe that being able to reflect is more than just a skill but a habit of mind intended to make our teaching experience meaningful and rewarding. It allows the teacher to improvise, redesign, and develop a sense of self-understanding. Furthermore, it promotes intentional lifelong learning. Unfortunately, as personally experienced, lesson evaluation has become a tedious, pointless and under-utilised aspect of the teaching experience.

If teachers recognized the benefits of meaningful reflection and make it a habit, they may become more observant, innovative and curious. They may also be more inquisitive and keen to find out ways to improve the quality of their teaching by reading up relevant resources and collaborating with fellow teachers.

When I first started teaching, I was unaware of the impact of self-reflection. Over the years, I have identified other sources that teachers can look to for further reflection and learning such as, fellow colleagues and our very own students. Nurturing this habit has led me to reflect before, after and during my lessons. It has also helped me to seek out and take into account feedback from fellow teachers. Personally, I feel it creates opportunities for me to try new things and to rectify any misconceptions of students’ learning and teaching practices.

A reflective teacher constantly asks how she could be a better teacher and a better colleague (ibid, p.290). Learning to reflect and making it a habit is integral to a teacher’s personal and professional development.

Reference:

Wong, B. and Chai, C.S. (2008). Teachers as Expert Learners and Reflective Practitioners. In Engaging and Managing Learners: Practitioner's Perspectives (pp. 282-293). Singapore: Prentice Hall.