Teacher reflection

     Teacher reflection is, in my opinion, one of the most important pieces of our profession.  It is how teachers grow and learn about their teaching practices.  "We often fall into the habit of making assumptions about what's going on in the classroom.  And visible learning gives us a chance to see our habits and our patterns and recognize maybe why they aren't effective all the time."  This comes from a video on Edutopia about teachers who used a swivl device to track themselves or their students.

     When the teachers were watching themselves, they were looking at habits they have or what they are noticing about student learning and engagement.  In the video it states,  "Be transparent about the process with your students, to model continuous learning."   When practicum students come in to my classroom, I have used an IPad to record them in their teaching and expect that they will take time to watch and report back to me their reflection.  I need to model this practice myself by using our swivl and letting the students see that I too value the importance of self reflection.
     So what do I do with what I observe?  First, I would look at habits that I have that are not best practice.  Then I would observe child and student behaviors and consider the reasons for those behaviors.  Finally, I would set at least two goals for myself to improve my teaching and student learning.  How often should I reflect on my teaching practices?  I think that can vary depending on goals and the behaviors in the classroom.  How long should I record myself?  In the video, one teacher reports recording for 30 minutes at a time.  



Reference:
Kettle Moraine High School.  (Oct. 22, 2018).  Using video for professional development.  Edutopia.
Retrieved Dec. 8, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/video/using-video-professional-development