Many years ago, as a student teacher, my professors required us to be reflective. Keeping a teaching journal was a frequent assignment. We were required to reflect on everything from our lessons to the effectiveness of our bulletin boards. It was exhausting work. At the time, I didn’t really appreciate the practice. However, I’m finding now that taking the time to reflect on my practice is not only soothing, but motivating as well.
By jotting down a few notes on how things are going in the classroom, I find myself feeling more motivated to persevere through challenges and make changes where change is needed. The key is to recognize what is working before focusing on the changes that might need to be made. Being reflective isn’t just about berating yourself over the things you feel are going wrong. And, making changes doesn’t necessarily mean that something is going wrong. Recognizing that your teaching practice is a dynamic, fluid entity. Although we create routines and procedures to help our classrooms run smoothly, being reflective about what our classes need helps to motivate us to flow with the natural progressions of the school year.
Are you a reflective teacher? How do you reflect on your practice? If you need some guidance, I have a FREE Teacher Reflection Guide available in my TeachersPayTeachers store. FREE Teacher Reflection Guide I would love to know you reflect! Leave your comments and share this post with other teachers. Let’s connect!
Happy teaching!
PinaRose Education 