Reflecting on Reflection

Tip:
Reflecting on teaching practice helps teachers determine if what they are doing is working and what needs to be changed. Professional development can be a personal learning experience even if the teacher is part of a large group.

Questions the teacher can ask in every learning experience:

  • Is this strategy or resource going to help me become a better teacher?
  • Are these models that I can adapt for my classroom?
  • Do I have even better techniques that I can share with others?

Encourage the teachers to:

  • Keep a journal where they consider the previous questions or reflect on situations that affected how they taught a specific unit.
  • Videotape their class working on a unit or lesson.
  • Interview or survey students about effectiveness of this lesson.
  • Ask someone to video themselves sharing how they perceive the effectiveness of the lesson or unit.
  • Collect samples of student work from this lesson to review and discuss with another teacher.

Submitted by:Barbara Bray

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