Now having completed my end of year reports, and associated assessment commitments.....
I have returned to reflect again on my teaching Practise.
Am I as reflective as needed? to address the needs of my students and myself in the Learning process?
As mentioned in a survey adapted by Zeichner and Liston’s (cited in Finlay, 2008, p.4) the five levels of reflection are listed below.
This is how I relate presently to them....As mentioned previously- Rapid Reflection I think I use internally almost on auto - pilot. I find myself making judgements, assessments and reflections on activities and student engagements continually in the teaching day. However these are monologues with my own thoughts, and values so while they can give some direction and clarity to my next plan or activity they don't offer reflections to resolve or renew ideas.
Repair Reflection I recognise for me as the times I may react to a students' specific needs. This can be socially, emotionally, physically or academically. Where I have received a signal, sensory reaction or even dialogue where the planned activity has not met my expectations for that child. By developing relationships with students you become more attuned to the needs of that child as an individual , their perceptions, cultural beliefs, sense of self eg: I think of how each student deals differently with death, sorrow, loss....
Space and time can't be planned for, but can be given instantly as needed in these times and the reasons remembered later and brought forward in conversations with colleagues (or for myself a mentor who I trust to sound out ideas, concerns and receive counsel on, as an impartial colleague.)
Review
As I have written my final end of year student reports very recently. I have used my reflective notes I have written throughout the year in a diary ( usually daily, sometimes weekly) where I have written my thoughts about units of worked completed, activities completed and the responses and abilities of individuals. Frequently reread during the year, these notes and observations have allowed me to self reflect on my practise and delivery styles. Regroup children as needed to suit their learning needs and provide different modes of learning to establish a non threatening environment of learning . Interestingly I noticed how my teaching content and style began to expand with the contact with the Mindlab course and the collegial work I did with colleagues. Also the Professional Development with I.Y. which opened my mindset to certain readings and pedagogy that opened further gates of learning.
Research
I have had a personal interest in the Personalities of Students and how this effects the learning process for them in all areas of life. Reading books such as "Personality Plus" by Florence Littauer and "The 5 Love Languages of children" by Gary Chapman has reinforced to me just how individual children's needs are when relating to others and feeling valued and heard. I feel exposure to these books has really made me more sensitive to the needs of individuals in my room and another "tool" to be aware of when planning learning activities and environments for them to learn in .
Retheorizing and reformulating Reflection This final step I have just really begun to be aware of formally and is an area I need to address more and has made me realise that the The training I have received previously (eg: last century!) in no way at all does it provide for me the tools to educate children of today or of the future. So therefore to stay relevant to the future needs of students I need to continue my own journey of Learning.
Zeichner and Liston’s (cited in Finlay, 2008, p.4) the five levels of reflection.
Source: SkillsTeamHullUni. (2014, March 3). Reflective writing.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoI67VeE3ds
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