The Power of Reflection

Reflection is the ability to take a moment to think about one's actions as a way of engaging in continuous learning. As a an educator, being reflective is just as important as passing a high stakes assessment. When reflection become a habit, we are always thinking about how we can improve our lesson next time while teaching the lesson. We are constantly asking questions that probe our abilities and capabilities. It can be a very rewarding process, if there is follow through.

The ultimate goal for an educator is meeting the learning styles of all learners within the classroom. This is one of the hardest task to accomplish.  The classroom is comprised of children who have different life experiences, cultural backgrounds and abilities. This is where the creative juices start flowing. Tapping into those abilities and experiences is what makes the teaching part fun. Ideally, we want our lessons to be seamless but realistically there is always room for growth. That's where reflecting comes in.

"We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience." - John Dewey

 There is so much power in reflecting. It allows the reflector an opportunity to think about students through different lens. It brings on a layer of personal accountability, with attainable goals. Choosing not to reflect can make teaching very exhausting with stagnant academic growth. The direction of teaching becomes one way. Students are not the center of instruction rather it is the  content. During the reflection process, you look beyond of what is in front of you and consider the end goal keeping students in mind. There was a time when reflection was not in my vocabulary. I was doing the same things over and over again with no positive results. My students were producing the same caliber of work from the week before and I couldn't figure out what was the problem. I felt that if I kept on doing the same thing, creating a routine, it will be better. I have learned over the years that reflection is the key to success in teaching. When I took the time to reflect, I became a better teacher because I began changing my attitude and shifting my awareness towards my students academic growth. It improved the kind and level of support I provide my students.

I am a paper and pencil kind of gal. I love to create T-charts at the end of the week, jotting down the plus and deltas of my lessons. The beauty in reflecting is creating a self improvement plan instantly. It gives insight of areas of strengths and improvements. I think about how I can improve in my delta areas. It can mean reaching out to colleagues for support, reading books to add more tools to my teacher toolbox, listening to podcasts, visiting other classrooms, ultimately creating my own professional development. Sharing with others about your reflection and what you learned can help another teacher out. You don't know who you might be helping.

I encourage you to carve out some time out of your busy day to reflect on your teaching. Ask yourself some of these questions:

• Have I met the needs of all my learners?
• How can I improve the lesson for the next time?
• Have I included something new in my teaching? 
• What kind of data did I collect today/this week?
• How can I use information gathered from my reflection in my future lessons and/or professional growth?
• Where there any areas of concerns? Who can I seek out for assistance?

Always remember that we are only great when we take the time out to reflect on what we can do better to continue to be great. 

Happy Reflecting!