Reflective Teaching is Effective Teaching

Developing a reflective practice is essential for professional growth and student learning…

How often do teachers sit down after a tiring day in the classroom and wonder if their students benefited in any way? Many teachers wonder if their efforts and hard work is paying off.

Developing a process of reflective thinking or a reflective practice is a viable solution to addressing these common concerns. Reflective practice is considered to be central to effective teaching and instruction. A truly reflective teacher becomes sensitive and responsive to the needs, issues, and concerns that are important in shaping a quality education.

Further, being reflective helps teachers deal with the unavoidable situations and uncertainties that are a part of everyday decision-making processes and influence learning for students.

Another important reason to practice reflection is that it gives teachers the freedom to act in an intentional and purposeful manner. Sometimes teaching becomes routine, leading to exhaustion as teachers feel powerless to change the course of their career. On the other hand, as reflective practitioners, teachers are encouraged to consider their actions, willingly take responsibility for them and continue to grow in their field.

Application

As many teachers move away from traditional teaching methods, teachers must think about what they do in the classroom, how and why they do it. Applying reflective practice in their teaching allows teachers to ask these questions in a manner that promotes better learning.

Every teacher starts with an initial theory of teaching and learning based on his or her teaching experiences. In a reflective practice, this theory is applied in classroom. The teacher observes the results, reflects on them, and then adapts the theory to meet the specific classroom needs. This means that the teacher is constantly discovering what works best in the classroom to enhance learning. A teacher can observe practices by taking assessments, keeping a journal, or creating a reflective process that can be done after each unit.

The main benefit of applying a reflective teaching practice is that a teacher gains a deeper understanding of his or her own teaching methods and style, ultimately becoming a more effective educator. Past research has shown that effective teaching practice is related to inquiry, reflection, and professional growth. Teachers can improve their effectiveness in the classroom by understanding their own teaching style and building upon it, using the reflective practice.