#teachingisfun

Щоб стати рефлексивним учителем, потрібно постійно оцінювати та вдосконалювати свою практику викладання. Тут я хотів би детально поговорити про те, як стати більш самосвідомим (за допомогою практичних вправ), дослідницькі методи постановки цілей, що писати у своєму рефлексивному щоденнику для викладання, поради щодо самоспостереження та наскільки професійно розвиток може допомогти вам розмірковувати, аналізувати та діяти відповідно до ваших роздумів. 

1. Розвиток самосвідомості

Reflective teaching begins with self-awareness, right?

Самосвідомість — це здатність аналізувати себе, свою поведінку, ідеї та почуття, щоб визначити, як вони співвідносяться з вашими ідеалами. Маючи високу самосвідомість, люди можуть об’єктивно оцінювати свої емоції, що допомагає їм покращити професійні стосунки та підвищити продуктивність.

Знайти час, щоб поміркувати над власними переконаннями, ставленнями та практиками викладання – чудова ідея. Подумайте, як ці фактори впливають на ваше життя, взаємодію зі студентами та навчальне середовище.

1.1 Питання, які варто поставити собі:

• Що найважливіше в моїй роботі?
• Що я роблю щодо найважливіших речей у моїй кар’єрі?
• Чому це має значення?
• Чи зробила/в я останнім часом щось, що варто пам’ятати?
• Від чого я відмовився у своїй кар'єрі?

1.2 Деякі практичні вправи:

I have found this free, printable Self-Awareness Worksheet with lots of useful exercises that will help you think about yourself, including your talents, qualities, values, and perceptions.

Exercise 1:

Consider whether you have a tendency to analyze people or diagnose their problems without encouragement or prompting. When we have information that helps us understand the world, we often want to share it.

Giving this information to others without being asked may not make you feel good. They may feel like you’re telling them there’s something wrong with them and that there’s something they don’t necessarily agree with. No matter how valuable you feel it is to share, remember that this information is requested, not directed. [by Bates]

Вправа 2:

When you try hard to do something good, even great, you may become satisfied with that fact and start talking about it to others. This is really great because it allows us to recognize our own efforts and actions, thereby recognizing goodwill toward ourselves.

But while doing this exercise, think about how you would feel if you did something good and wonderful just for the sake of your own knowledge. As a statement to yourself, you might decide that the next time you do something great, keep it to yourself and no one else. If someone is a good and loving person, there is no need to tell anyone. That’s the truth that shines from every angle of her. Keep this knowledge to yourself as an experiment or as a gift. [by Bates]

Ви можете знайти більше вправ у дописі блогуCheck Yo’ Self: An Exercise in Self-Reflection” written by Sarah Bates.

2. Методика постановки цілей на основі досліджень

Встановіть чіткі та конкретні цілі для свого навчання. Ці цілі можуть бути пов’язані з досягненнями учнів, навчальними стратегіями, керуванням класом або особистим розвитком. Переконайтеся, що ваші цілі реалістичні та вимірні.

У Домініканському університеті було проведено дослідження про те, як написання цілей впливає на досягнення цілей.

There were 5 groups. Each group was asked to

• Group #1 think about their goals;
• Group #2 – write their goals;
• Group #3 – write down goals plus formulate action commitments;
• Group #4 – write down goals, formulate action commitments plus send their goals and commitments to a supportive friend;
• Group #5 – write down goals plus formulate action commitments,  send their goals and commitments, and weekly progress reports to a supportive friend.

Guess who achieved significantly more? Group #5! The positive effect of responsibility was supported. There was support for the role of public commitment. There was a positive effect on written goals. People who wrote down their goals achieved significantly more than those who didn’t write them down.

Based on this research study they came up with a fascinating formula for setting goals:

1. Commit to action — rather than simply writing down their goals, the group was asked to take action.  This included completing a questionnaire to guide a thorough thought process toward the goal and establish a concrete commitment to action. Basically, they promised on paper that they would achieve their goals.
2. Accountability to colleagues —  you should share your commitment to your colleagues or friends. It will help you to feel more responsible.
3. Regular updates — provide weekly updates to their friends and supervisors so they can focus on their progress.

If you’d like to read more research studies on setting and achieving goals, have a look at my list.

3. Reflective teaching journal: what to write

A reflective teaching journal is a practical teaching tool that helps not only novice teachers but also experienced teachers to structure, collect, and consider their feelings about their teaching performance. Besides, it helps evaluate overall teaching effectiveness through classroom teaching and observations and reflections.

Choose a notebook that you really love. For example, I love Moleskine and Leuchtturm1917. Yes, they are not cheap but they are worth it.

It is a wonderful idea to keep it at hand so you can jot down your comments, ideas, and observations at any time during (or immediately after) class. 

Notes can include highlights from lectures and assignments that went well, mistakes that need to be fixed, or content that simply failed and needs to be revised entirely. It’s very easy to reflect on these comments and keep them in mind for the next lesson.

What you can write there:

• about your emotions and what has caused those emotions (good and bad ones),
• monitoring student learning achievements,
• review or thoughts on classroom management,
• reflect on how you make decisions,
• thoughts on your further professional development (it doesn’t have to be about enrolling into one more course, but perhaps about going in depth in something you really would like to),
• reflecting on your dilemmas, etc.

Personally, I write about many things in my teaching reflecting journal. I even reflect on my personal situations that affect my work. For example, if you want to have a better work/life balance.

4. Self-observation

I’ve been a teacher trainer for years and I have realized that if you wanna scare a teacher to death just say “lesson observation.” There are many reasons why teachers are uncomfortable with being observed while conducting a lesson. The main reason is judgment and negative feedback. That is why here I will talk about self-observation.

You may turn on a mic on your phone and record your lesson. Or you may video record your lesson. But! If you are going to video record your lesson, you must get written consent from your students. However, if you teach kids, the consent form must be signed by parents.  I teach adults, and no one was against me recording a class. [Super grateful for that]

Before self-observation, you should write a lesson plan with a maximum of three areas that you would like to improve. But no more than three. When you watch a recording of your pay attention only to those areas. If you want to improve everything, you might be overwhelmed, and stressed and succeed in nothing.

5. Seek feedback:

Seek feedback from colleagues you trust and admire, administrators, or your students. Ask for their input on your teaching methods, classroom management, and overall effectiveness.

6. Collaborate with colleagues:

Team up with other educators to share ideas, discuss challenges, and learn from each other’s experiences. Collaborative reflection provides different perspectives and can lead to valuable insights. If your colleagues are open to being observed teaching lessons, then it is a great opportunity not to miss it.

7. Engaging in professional development:

When you are at a conference/workshop or maybe taking a course, reflecting on it is beneficial. It is not about taking notes of the information while listening to speakers, it is about writing insights, and ideas that you come up with.

A reflective teacher may also reflect on speakers: how they talk, what they talk about, how they engage with the audience, etc. 

8. Experiment with new strategies

Be willing to try new instructional strategies and techniques in the classroom. Implementing new approaches will allow you to assess their effectiveness and reflect on their impact on student learning.

9. How to analyze and act on your teaching reflections:

You should identify patterns, and analyze the impact of changes you have made.

A common analysis method  is a three-stage model: “What?”, “So What?” and “Now what?”

“What?” stage:

At this stage, you explain the problem, including your role, observations, and reactions. The stages help you make your first observations about what you are feeling and thinking.

There is no need to look at your course notes or readings at this point. You may use the following questions to guide your writing at this stage.

• What happened?
• What did you do?
• What did you expect?
• What did you do differently?
• What was your reaction?
• What did you learn?

“So What?” stage:

Here are three perspectives to consider: an academic perspective, a personal perspective, and a systems perspective.

From an academic perspective, you may ask the following questions:

• How did this experience improve your understanding of concepts/theories/skills? 
• Have you identified strengths or gaps in your knowledge? etc.

From a personal perspective, they recommend these questions:

• Why is experience important?
• What are the results?
• Were your previous expectations/assumptions confirmed or refuted?
• What surprised you and why?

The third one is the systems perspective:

• What are the sources of power and who benefits?
• What changes would you suggest?
• How does this experience help you understand the organization and system?

“Now what?” stage:

The key question is “What happens now?” It will help you discover how the experience influences your future thinking and behavior. You may ask yourself:

• What would you do based on your experience?
• What would you change?
• What would you do with what you learned?
• What do you want to apply this or that?

Read more about it in the blog post “Critical Reflection”

Final thoughts

Remember, becoming a reflective teacher is an ongoing process. It requires a commitment to self-improvement and a willingness to learn and adapt. By reflecting on your practice, you can enhance your teaching effectiveness and positively impact student learning.

Використані джерела:

Ackerman, C. E. (2023, April 26). 87 self-reflection questions for introspection [+exercises]. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/introspection-self-reflection/

Bates, S. M. (2012, November 11). Check yo’ self: An exercise in self-reflection – hellogiggles. HelloGiggles. https://hellogiggles.com/check-yo-self-an-exercise-in-self-reflection/

Critical reflection. Writing and Communication Centre. (2023, December 6). https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/critical-reflection

How to become a reflective teacher – the complete guide for reflection in teaching. BookWidgets. (2023, May 5). https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2019/02/how-to-become-a-reflective-teacher-the-complete-guide-for-reflection-in-teaching

Kelly, J. (2011, August). Self-Awareness Worksheet. Destiny’s odyssey. https://destinysodyssey.com/the-odyssey/self-discovery/self-awareness/personal-identity-workshops/self-awareness-worksheet/

Leon-Henri, D. D. P. (2020, April 22). 14 reasons teachers should keep a reflective journal. Reflective Teaching Journal. https://reflectiveteachingjournal.com/reasons-teachers-should-keep-a-reflective-journal/

Turn your dreams into reality. The Bucket List Journal. (2022, April 14). https://global.writeyourlist.com/the-science-of-goals/