Saturday, December 9, 2017

Building Reflectors

Reflective teachers are better teachers.  Although reflection is important in any profession, teachers have a special need for reflection because they usually carry out their responsibilities in isolation from their colleagues.  Because they neither see nor are seen by peers as they teach, the best avenue for growth is self-reflection.

Reflection is about careful thought: conscious consideration of actions for the purpose of learning.  Reflecting gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the busy-ness, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider interpretations, and create meaning. This meaning can inform future decisions and actions. For teachers, this meaning-making is crucial for ongoing professional development.

For some, reflection comes naturally.  Others know the definition but don’t really understand the process.  Reflection requires slowing down and taking a mindset of curiosity.  It also means taking personal responsibility. The process can lead to valuable insights, but taking an honest look at the way a lesson (or day) played out can also lead to discomfort, vulnerability, and defensiveness.  Although reflection helps us see things that worked well, we have a tendency to let our thoughts gravitate to things that went less well.  That can be a problem if our attitude toward those weaknesses is defensiveness or blame-shifting. It’s also a problem if staring those weaknesses down blinds us to the strengths of a lesson. Recognizing what worked encourages us to continue using those effective strategies.  

So, sometimes teachers don’t reflect because they don’t know how, don’t like the process, or don’t like the results.  Another reason for neglecting reflection is lack of time.  Teachers have so many tangible things to get done that it’s difficult to spend time on a process where the results are less apparent.  The stack of papers gets shorter as you assign grades, but reflection has no immediate, visible effect.  The ROI (return on investment) on reflection isn’t instantaneous; however, the dividends of reflection are significant and ongoing.

Coaches can support teacher reflection in many ways.  The most common is by reflecting with the teacher, asking questions that inquire to broaden thinking or probe to consider specific data.  It’s also important to help teachers build the habit of self-reflection.  The questions coaches ask during conferences can become internalized, making reflection more automatic.  This indirect approach is helpful, but we can also support self-reflection through explicit conversations about it.  As you talk with teachers about self-reflection, you can help them address the challenges noted above.  Here are a few suggestions for encouraging reflection:

·         As you walk with teachers through the reflection process, describe the path you are following with them.  If you have a protocol you use to guide the process, share that protocol with teachers.  If you have specific questions you find productive, share a list of those questions.  This helps teachers recognize what reflection might include and gives them tools to support that process as it becomes internalized.

·         For teachers who take an Eeyore approach to reflecting (seeing the negative), celebrating the results of reflection as you work with them emphasizes the benefits.  Be explicit about pointing out the connections between reflection and results.  In addition, be sure that the tools you recommend for reflection provide a balanced view. 

·         Encourage teachers to select a reflection process that works for them.  Some teachers reflect through writing, some by talking it out with a trusted friend. Others find that making an audio recording on their phone so they can revisit it later is helpful. Some keep a notepad handy near their bed and reflect while drifting off or waking up.  You can reflect while walking, biking or standing; alone or with a partner.  No matter which approach is taken, it is helpful to have a way to capture the brilliant “ah-hah’s” that are sure to come!

·         If reflection isn’t a habit, urge a teacher to schedule time on her calendar for that process. Check back and ask how she’s doing at keeping her commitment to herself.  If she’s avoiding or skipping it, encourage her to reflect on that!

Reflection is time to be still, examine our thinking, and consider multiple perspectives.  For many teachers, lack of understanding, experience, or time can get in the way of reflection.  As coaches support this important process, they increase impact, boosting improvements in instruction.


This week, you might want to take a look at:

3 tips for successful PLC’s:



Ideas for teaching literacy skills during the interrupted month of December:



Changing the conversation about grades:



Play is making a come-back:



Using Interactive reading guides in science:



That’s it for this week.  Happy Coaching!

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