You should have a pretty strong DRAFT of a lesson plan about done by now. You’ll be emailing it to me next week - any day of the week up until Friday at 5pm. Just email it to jsapp@csudh.edu.
Of course, after we actually teach a lesson in real time, we always reflect on it. What went well? What went badly? What would I change or do differently next time?
Teachers receive little feedback about the effectiveness of their work. Reflective practice is the process of conducting a critical self-examination of your teaching. All of your experience and assignments in the credential program are opportunities for critical self-examination.
In regards to our teaching, reflective practice manifests itself by basing every decision we make on these simple questions: “Did this decision increase learning as much as possible? If so, great! If not, what do I do next?”
100+ years ago, John Dewey wrote that there are 3 attitudes necessary for us to become reflective teachers: (1) open-mindedness, (2) responsibility, and (3) wholeheartedness.
Honestly, reflection is about continual learning. It is about seeing yourself always as the first student in the classroom. We are always learning.
Read the article on Teacher Reflection.
One fantastic way to be reflective is through the use of metaphors. Check out one of my favorite metaphors for teaching from Holocaust survivor and educator Hiam Ginot.
Is your classroom a calm, relaxing day or a violent, destructive storm? Is it sunny, cloudy, or rainy? Is it frigidly cold? Are you a calm, refreshing breeze or a tornado?
We will check out two former CSUDH credential graduates as they speak about their own powerful metaphor for teaching in class this week.
My own dominant metaphor that has guided me in my own practice for over 43 years of teaching is that of choreography and dance. I’m not a dancer. I can not stress this enough <grin> but the idea of choreographing learning in the classroom just has always really resonated with me. Here is a quote from something I’ve written…and it is illustrated by our daughter, dear little Helena, when she was taking dance classes years ago.
A metaphor can be absolutely anything. It is a hobbie or a sport or gardening or cooking or quilting or any darn thing you know a lot about.
Think about a metaphor for your own teaching metaphor. What would it be about?
Click below and check out some awesome metaphors from former CSUDH credential students.
Learn more about Critical Reflective Practice by reading Brookfield’s article.