A Reflective Teacher

 

“How was my day? Which part was clear and which one was blurry? What is the nagging discomfort that I still carry?” 

This is how my day ends everyday as a teacher. Discomfort or discontent is the way to clarity that I seek on daily basis in order to improve myself. Critical reflection, as it is called, is a part of a daily practice. Reflection is an ongoing process of observing, identifying, questioning and rediscovering our deepest held values and assumptions with the goal as change in our daily practice of life (Benade, 2016). This is the path of progress for me and it is hard to go to sleep if there is something that is nagging my subconscious. This is what helps me to pull meaning from a teaching and learning experience and makes life worth it (Stanchfield, 2013). It challenges the commonly held practices in one’s psyche and analyses one’s own responses to circumstances.

     Reflection is important for both the teacher and the taught. Students need a trigger, space and some scaffolding for the same, however the goal is the same – to examine one’s held beliefs. Else the teacher and student relation turn into a jug and mug theory. Fresh insights on a day-to-day basis require us to give time to be in a quiet space with our thoughts, feelings and reflect on the same. For me it is the lifeline that keeps me balanced every day. As an introvert, I find it easy to be reflective and over the years have developed it to a finetune ability to move the gaze within anytime of the day or night. For my students, it is a guided practice with a pen, paper and some questions.

     In my trainings with teachers, I make reflection an easy process by asking them to ask themselves with a childlike wonder end of each day, ‘what was wow and what was muddy about my day?’ Teachers, in a childlike way, reflect over the question in their minds, with a pen and paper or using colours to draw or paint. With time, this becomes a habit that can be as powerful as realizing one has hurt a child and going back to clear the ripples. Or getting ideas for a powerful project that eluded one at the time of creation.

     While reflection alone is a great exercise, in a group that feels safe it can be even more powerful. Professional Learning Community (PLC) is one such group that operates in a school or any other zone where we come together to work. The body is a group of educators organized by grade, content or any other specialization. The goal is to meet regularly, inquire into ourselves collaboratively and seek answers. The aim is to develop a safe zone for the same. The ultimate goal though is to create a learning environment where the students can learn and grow in a happier state of being. PLC is a space where educators can collaboratively come up with best practices to improve student learning and self-satisfaction in their own zone (Owen, 2014). It is a step back to be mindful of (a) the work as it is being done, (b) discomfort with the same and (c) looking for newer perspectives to manage it (DuFour, 2004). While external professional developers are helpful, this is a powerful source of inhouse skill development in the teachers.

     In a small school in India, I had a discussion with a group of teachers in the school to brainstorm their needs, their discomforts and possible solutions. Then I gave some ideas from the best practices in the world. The teachers were encouraged to consider the goals in front of them, choose the one that called to them and bring about a change in their environment through the same. This way the teachers were able to connect to best practices globally and be in tune with the same (Owen, 2014). When it works well and the teachers feel safe, it fosters a culture of collaboration among the teachers that is a powerful space for working together (Marzano et al., 2016). The PLC can be extended to teachers observing each other in their classes, discussing the best practices and enhancing cumulative reflection (Eyanagho, 2019).

     What comes in the way of PLC is the sense of being judged and that is the responsibility of all who are involved to abstain from. Judgment by any one educator can stifle the space of the openness that is needed for a free expression. What comes in the way of self-reflection too is the habit of self-criticism and judgment. The voice of the critic in the head needs to be silent for the power of reflection to change our lives.

References

Benade, L. (2016). Teachers’ reflective practice in the context of twenty-first-century learning. In Open Review of Educational Research 3:1, pages 133-147. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23265507.2014.998159

DuFour, R. (2004, May) What is a professional learning community. All Things PLC.

http://www.allthingsplc.info/files/uploads/DuFourWhatIsAProfessionalLearningCommunity.pdf

Eyanagho, V. (2019). Teachers’ perceptions of professional learning communities.

https://dune.une.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1275&context=theses

Marzano, R., Heflebower, T., Hoegh, J., Warrick, P., & Grift, G. (2016). Collaborative teams that transform schools: the next step in PLCs. Bloomington, IN. Marzano Research.

Owen, S. (2014). Teacher professional learning communities. Australian Journal of Adult Learning. V. 54, #2. Pp 54-77. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1033925.pdf

Stanchfield, J. (2013, December 16). The value of reflection. https://blog.experientialtools.com/2013/12/16/the-importance-of-reflection/