There was no such thing as reflective practice when I started teaching back in the early 90s. You just got on with the job and if you didn't know what to do you asked or you sank. I remember constantly feeling inadequate. Always wondering if I was doing ok. I felt that it was a very lonely job when you first came out, there were no appraisal systems, no one ever looked at the twelve criteria for teaching!! unheard of, you were just signed off.
Twenty-five years on I am trying to do something I have had no training in. Reflective practice.
What is it really? Why do I need to do it? How long will it take?
Sellars (2017) describes the reflective practice as "the tool which teacher, student teacher, teacher assistants, to understand themselves, their personal philosophies and the dynamics of their classroom more deeply"
Where do I start? What model will I use? so many questions, so little time to decide. In this fast-paced moving world of today, I wonder if this is the perfect solution to take some time out, step off the wheel and to think. To reflect will mean finding somewhere quiet, it will require being still, it will need focus. This could be quite good for me.We can feel very isolated at times in our profession, even though there are plenty of colleagues around us. Reflective practice is more than a whinge and a talk about a student or how a lesson went.
The funny think about reflection is that we do the thinking after something has happened. It is quite a personal thing to reflect your practice for all to see. If an authentic audience is going to be viewing my journey, then that will require transparency, vulnerability and trust.
I want it to be authentic, I don't have the time to try and make something look good on paper just because I am required to. I want to be able to help others through my reflections. I liked the way Farrell (2003) wrote about separating thought and emotion in reflective practice. He says that reflective practice is about taking action after the thinking. This is a valuable part to remember. Are there things we would like to change in our teaching? Do we know how to go and do it? What have we learnt about ourselves as a teacher?
All good food for thought.
I believe that as I begin to reflect on my practice in a more formal and on a regular basis I will stop feeling powerless and negative at times and begin to see that I can make such a positive and powerful difference just in my own life as a teacher and for my students. This too can overflow to other staff members, hopefully.
Farrell (2003) quotes Dewey as saying that the 3 main characteristics of an effective reflective practitioner are open-minded, responsible and whole-hearted. He says that to be open-minded means to be willing to listen to more than one side, to be responsible means to consider the consequences of our actions and the impact we have on our students, and to be whole-hearted means to be so committed to an idea that we overcome fears and uncertainties.
If you want to start with a really thought provoking book for your journey of reflective practice, I would highly recommend this one. It is easy to read and very helpful.
Kia Kaha my fellow reflective practitioners I look forward to reading about your journeys also.
Farrell, T. S. (2003). Reflective practice in action: 80 reflection breaks for busy teachers. Corwin Press.
Sellars, M. (2017). Reflective practice for teachers. Sage.
Twenty-five years on I am trying to do something I have had no training in. Reflective practice.
What is it really? Why do I need to do it? How long will it take?
Sellars (2017) describes the reflective practice as "the tool which teacher, student teacher, teacher assistants, to understand themselves, their personal philosophies and the dynamics of their classroom more deeply"
Where do I start? What model will I use? so many questions, so little time to decide. In this fast-paced moving world of today, I wonder if this is the perfect solution to take some time out, step off the wheel and to think. To reflect will mean finding somewhere quiet, it will require being still, it will need focus. This could be quite good for me.We can feel very isolated at times in our profession, even though there are plenty of colleagues around us. Reflective practice is more than a whinge and a talk about a student or how a lesson went.
The funny think about reflection is that we do the thinking after something has happened. It is quite a personal thing to reflect your practice for all to see. If an authentic audience is going to be viewing my journey, then that will require transparency, vulnerability and trust.
I want it to be authentic, I don't have the time to try and make something look good on paper just because I am required to. I want to be able to help others through my reflections. I liked the way Farrell (2003) wrote about separating thought and emotion in reflective practice. He says that reflective practice is about taking action after the thinking. This is a valuable part to remember. Are there things we would like to change in our teaching? Do we know how to go and do it? What have we learnt about ourselves as a teacher?
All good food for thought.
I believe that as I begin to reflect on my practice in a more formal and on a regular basis I will stop feeling powerless and negative at times and begin to see that I can make such a positive and powerful difference just in my own life as a teacher and for my students. This too can overflow to other staff members, hopefully.
Farrell (2003) quotes Dewey as saying that the 3 main characteristics of an effective reflective practitioner are open-minded, responsible and whole-hearted. He says that to be open-minded means to be willing to listen to more than one side, to be responsible means to consider the consequences of our actions and the impact we have on our students, and to be whole-hearted means to be so committed to an idea that we overcome fears and uncertainties.
If you want to start with a really thought provoking book for your journey of reflective practice, I would highly recommend this one. It is easy to read and very helpful.
Kia Kaha my fellow reflective practitioners I look forward to reading about your journeys also.
Farrell, T. S. (2003). Reflective practice in action: 80 reflection breaks for busy teachers. Corwin Press.
Sellars, M. (2017). Reflective practice for teachers. Sage.
Hi Lynne. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this part of the journey. I agree that reflecting in a public forum is quite a brave and vulnerable step to take. It felt like that for me. I like your comments from Farrell's book. Being open-minded means that we're willing to challenge assumptions. Being responsible and whole-hearted means that we're committed to taking the process of reflection seriously - not just as an exercise to complete. I slso like your reference to life long learning. I've always thought (especially as I've got older) that the more I know, the more I realise that I don't know. I like two quotes from Dylan Wiliams. He says we need to "create a culture of continuous improvement" and "Every teacher needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better." Seeing you at work in our school and hearing your heart for students, I know that you're already an excellent teacher.
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