The first strategy to start with the reflective process is identifying my own's strengths by knowing my skills, knowledge, and qualities that I consider I have. Then, I also must understand and know the skills, knowledge, and attributes that need to be developed further. Being aware of both strengths and weaknesses will help me know which areas are needed for development and where to start it. It can help me monitor and prepare the feedbacks that I may get from others. These first steps in applying the principles of systematic reflection serve as a direction to master the key skills in teaching through consistently practicing methods of critical reflection for professional development.
The classroom nowadays is becoming dynamic and complex (Larrivee, 2000). Teachers need to find ways to create authentic learning styles that align their roles as social mediators, learning facilitators, and reflective practitioners. Teachers have to lay the foundation of teaching, learning, and development through self-awareness, inquiry, and reflection and not tie it with the students. Larrivee pointed out, which I agree strongly, that a teacher, in order to become effective, should be able to move in many directions in a stage where they learn how to integrate and modify skills according to the philosophical contexts and ethical code of conduct, and eventually, leads where skills should internalize enabling her to invent new strategies.
Reflection is a systematic reviewing process for all teachers which allows them to make links from one experience to the next, making sure the students make maximum progress. Reflection is a basic part of teaching and learning (Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team, n.d.). A self-reflection by a teacher can lead to a successful learning contract and attain instructional efficacy. Teacher’s self-reflection brings about teacher change in the instructional practice. To be critically reflective is to act with integrity, openness, and commitment rather than compromise, defensiveness, or fear (Larrivee, 2000). Also, teachers who perceive they have been successful, regardless of the accuracy of their judgment, expect to be successful in the future. Teachers become confident about their future performance when they believe that through their own actions, they have helped students learn (Ross & Bruce, 2007).
The classroom nowadays is becoming dynamic and complex (Larrivee, 2000). Teachers need to find ways to create authentic learning styles that align their roles as social mediators, learning facilitators, and reflective practitioners. Teachers have to lay the foundation of teaching, learning, and development through self-awareness, inquiry, and reflection and not tie it with the students. Larrivee pointed out, which I agree strongly, that a teacher, in order to become effective, should be able to move in many directions in a stage where they learn how to integrate and modify skills according to the philosophical contexts and ethical code of conduct, and eventually, leads where skills should internalize enabling her to invent new strategies.
Reflection is a systematic reviewing process for all teachers which allows them to make links from one experience to the next, making sure the students make maximum progress. Reflection is a basic part of teaching and learning (Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team, n.d.). A self-reflection by a teacher can lead to a successful learning contract and attain instructional efficacy. Teacher’s self-reflection brings about teacher change in the instructional practice. To be critically reflective is to act with integrity, openness, and commitment rather than compromise, defensiveness, or fear (Larrivee, 2000). Also, teachers who perceive they have been successful, regardless of the accuracy of their judgment, expect to be successful in the future. Teachers become confident about their future performance when they believe that through their own actions, they have helped students learn (Ross & Bruce, 2007).
A teacher with high efficacy:
- creates an instructional plan according to specific content, students, and contexts.
- aids to mastery experience which results in success in the classroom
- build confidence in future performance.
- sets higher goals for themselves and their students.
- is more likely willing to try out new teaching techniques, particularly hard to implement techniques (Ross, 1992).
- adopts the high expectation mindset that promotes higher student achievement.
- tries harder on their job, uses management strategies that stimulate students’ autonomy, attends more closely to the needs of low ability students, and modify students’ ability perceptions (Ross, 1998).
- can handle difficult students.
- maintains a high attendance rate.
- less likely to leave profession.
A reflective practitioner should:
- Acknowledge that experience is not pure but contextually bound and has a potential for distortion. Personal experiences need critical checks from thorough observation and assessment by students and colleagues.
- Understand that critical reflection involves a deep exploration process that exposes unexamined beliefs, assumptions, and expectations and makes visible our personal reflexive loops (Larrivee, 2000).
- Call teachers to the task of facing deeply-rooted personal attitudes concerning human nature, human potential, and human learning.
- Challenge assumptions and question existing practices, thereby continuously accessing new lens to view their practice and alter their perspectives.
- Practice essential methods such as making time for solitary reflection, becoming a perpetual problem-solver, and questioning the status quo (Larrivee, 2000).
- Have a personal filtering system. This process takes about learning how to screen differing perceptions of circumstances and events, resulting in different interpretations and effectively-becoming aware of effective responses to any challenging students and classrooms.
Failed experiences have been considered the most powerful learning sources (Ellis, S., Carette, B., Anseel, F., & Lievens, F. 2014). Teaching in a diverse classroom with students of different learning levels has made me define a better way of implementing instructional strategies that benefit even low achieving students in my classroom. I write my journal regularly to help me reflect on the ways how my lesson went great and how it was ineffective. I record them and make sure they are communicated to my coordinators, pair teachers, students, and homeroom teachers so that every change that I make assures there is a mutual agreement to all stakeholders. Communication is crucially important to implement a change and there must be a binding rule that members of the stakeholders accept and realize the benefits of making change essential for growth and development.
There are many pathways to becoming a reflective practitioner and each teacher must find his or her own path. Any path a teacher chooses must involve a willingness to be an active participant in a perpetual growth process requiring ongoing critical reflection on classroom practices. The journey involves infusing personal beliefs and values into a professional identity, resulting in developing a deliberate code of conduct. Critical reflection is not only a way of approaching teaching-it is a way of life. The more teachers explore, the more they discover. The more they question, the more they access new realms of possibility (p.306).There must be a classroom culture of control in the dynamic classroom of today. Reflective practice helps create confident teachers (Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team. n.d.).
Confident teachers persist. They persist through obstacles. They are not depressed by failure but respond to setbacks with renewed effort (Ross & Bruce, 2007).
References:
Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team. (n.d.). Getting started with Reflective Practice. Cambridge Assessment International education. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/gswrp/index.html
Ellis, S., Carette, B., Anseel, F., & Lievens, F. (2014). Systematic Reflection: Implications for Learning From Failures and Successes. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Sage Journals. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963721413504106
Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice,1(2), 293-306. Retrieved from http://ed253jcu.pbworks.com/f/Larrivee_B_2000CriticallyReflectiveTeacher.pdf
Ross, J. A. (1992). Teacher efficacy and the effect of coaching on student achievement. Canadian Journal of Education, 17(1), 51-65.
Ross, J. A. (1998). The antecedents and consequences of teacher efficacy. In J. Brophy (Ed.), Research on Teaching. Vol. 7. (pp.49-74). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Ross, J. A., & Bruce, C. (2007). Teacher Self-Assessment: A Mechanism for Facilitating Professional Growth. Teacher, and Teacher Education.
Cambridge International Education Teaching and Learning Team. (n.d.). Getting started with Reflective Practice. Cambridge Assessment International education. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/gswrp/index.html
Ellis, S., Carette, B., Anseel, F., & Lievens, F. (2014). Systematic Reflection: Implications for Learning From Failures and Successes. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Sage Journals. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963721413504106
Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice,1(2), 293-306. Retrieved from http://ed253jcu.pbworks.com/f/Larrivee_B_2000CriticallyReflectiveTeacher.pdf
Ross, J. A. (1992). Teacher efficacy and the effect of coaching on student achievement. Canadian Journal of Education, 17(1), 51-65.
Ross, J. A. (1998). The antecedents and consequences of teacher efficacy. In J. Brophy (Ed.), Research on Teaching. Vol. 7. (pp.49-74). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Ross, J. A., & Bruce, C. (2007). Teacher Self-Assessment: A Mechanism for Facilitating Professional Growth. Teacher, and Teacher Education.