Being Reflective

As teachers, we are all familiar with the term reflective practice. Teachers' college prepare us very well to rethink or everyday teaching. George Couros's quote, "reflection is part of your work"--referring to teachers, is an excellent reminder that what we do today as teachers needs to be different the next time we do something similar.

There will always be many ways to reach students, but if we continue to do the same thing, we will get the same results. In a world that is ever-changing, we need to be on the verge of these changes in order to motivate, inspire, and prepare students for their future. This is where reflection helps a teacher remain effective. Many daily aspects of a classroom can be adapted even slightly to meet the needs of your class. A class discussion could come alive when the students have the opportunity to answer poll questions, using pollanywhere.com and their personal or school supplied devices; or students could make use of clickers (Senteos) to answer multiple choice questions. These examples and many more are becoming integrated more and more in to the classroom. A keen educator would reflect on how he/she could incorporate these technologies in to their practice.

Reflective practice also helps teachers move students forward in their learning. By taking the time to re-think their lessons, teachers are making themselves stronger educators.

Taking time to reflect in our own daily lives has benefits as well. As a father, I have learned a lot about myself and who I want to be because I take time throughout the day to review aspects of my day. Sometimes it`s a word someone said, an event in the day, or my own words that sparks an `aha` moment, which then stays with me until the next time something similar occurs. Having a reflective mentality ensures that you continue to grow as a person and reminds you of what is important.