re·flec·tion \ri-ˈflek-shən\
: an image cast back by a mirror or shiny surface
: a thought, idea, or opinion
formed or a remark made as a result of meditation
When
we talk about reflecting on teaching, we are incorporating both of the above
definitions – the seeing again and the pondering. Reflection is taking a look in the rear-view
mirror. As teachers reflect, they replay
a lesson in their minds, bringing a deeper understanding of their teaching and
their students’ learning. They ruminate over past events so that they
can plan for future ones.
Reflection
means that teachers see themselves and their students again. They reexamine the learning event
critically. That’s another definition
worth taking a look at:
crit·i·cal adjective \ˈkri-ti-kəl\
: using or
involving careful judgment about the good and bad parts of something
It’s
important to recognize what went well so those practices can be repeated. Did students’ understanding increase because
of peer-to-peer dialogue? Then build it
in to future lessons. Did a Venn diagram
push thinking to higher levels? Find ways
to incorporate it into upcoming work.
Seeing
the lesson again can also help to eliminate practices that aren’t working so
well. Did a lack of wait time produce
low-level responses? Did a read aloud
fall flat because students lacked necessary background knowledge? Realizations like these give us direction for
improving instruction.
Effective
reflection requires self-awareness and candor.
It means spending time in deep thought.
Reflection includes serious thinking and questioning as specific
examples are re-visioned in the mind.
Reflection
is an important aspect of a teacher’s work, and a coach can play a supportive
role in this process. As a coach, you
can support reflection by:
* Recording a lesson so teachers can review it later (on their own or with you)
* Scheduling time to contemplate a lesson (a pause in the busy day of a teacher)
* Drawing attention to specific aspects of a lesson
* Asking questions that cast the teacher’s thinking back to details
* Affirming or praising practices that supported student learning
* Recording a lesson so teachers can review it later (on their own or with you)
* Scheduling time to contemplate a lesson (a pause in the busy day of a teacher)
* Drawing attention to specific aspects of a lesson
* Asking questions that cast the teacher’s thinking back to details
* Affirming or praising practices that supported student learning
Sound
familiar? Mentoring practices from the
GIR model help teachers to ‘see again’ and ponder their instruction. When teacher and coach reflect together, they
see what students have learned and what they still need to know.
Some
teachers are naturally reflective or have already developed this important
skill. Most, however, will benefit from
having a coach as their reflective partner.
When we think of coaching as assisted
reflection, we provide more than just a mirror. We provide support that is gradually reduced
as teachers develop reflection as a habit of mind.
This week,
you might want to take a look at:
A
podcast about ways to bring more energy and joy to teaching:
Suggestions
for getting beyond working with the go-ers:
A
Pinterest page with book picks for teaching opinion writing:
Consider
3 F’s of an effective writing conference (frequency, focus, & follow-up)
from this blog post:
A
rich collection of math resources for teachers (and students) to explore:
Wondering about
Wikispaces and how you can incorporate them into your teaching? Watch this video introduction to Wikispaces:
http://www.wikispaces.com/content/wiki-tour
That’s it for this
week. Happy Coaching!
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