examples of reflective writing in teaching

examples of reflective writing in teaching

Reflective Writing in Teaching

1. Introduction

To introduce the reader to the essay, we begin with a synopsis of the kind of writing which the area of reflective practice. This writing moves from the highest quality work effecting learners to the private aspects. The differentiation between instructor focused and student concentrated effects on the learning experience is quite significant. This movement toward a fuller understanding of the complexities involved means not only considering the outcomes of teacher’s actions, but the procedure itself. An awareness of the awareness which goes into actions will form a type of technical knowledge, an important and sometimes dismissed area of teacher education. This ‘thinking about thinking not just within it’ (Schon 1998) can be a hard concept to develop and it’s here that reflective practice brings a beneficial framework to the educator through making use of the theories to practical scenarios and examining them. All this comprises the work of a reflective practitioner and it should be considered necessary for today’s teaching professionals. Reflective writing is simply the written account of the process of thinking about what we do; it is a way of defining learning, gains understanding and explaining theory to practical situations. It is also an evaluation of past events or previous knowledge. Schon’s suggestions on reflection are particularly engaging and it is clear that Schon sees reflection as problem solving. Engaging in a teaching session or experiment and then afterwards during the leisurely phase considering what unfolded and comparing this to a formerly constructed plan brings about dissatisfaction if there was a mismatch and consequently Schon claims that the discomfort is what drives reflection. This reflection on action can be simultaneous with the action itself or delayed and it is in these situations that Schon advises using further reflection to create an informed plan for action. Thus the reflection on action can lead to a reconstruction of an event which in turn becomes a rehearsal for a new event. Reflection itself may cause discomfort due to the consideration of past mistakes said to be cause of a crisis in personal and professional confidence. Schon’s theory and many overlapping theorists provide a strong foundation for both the methods and the importance of reflection and it is therefore a valuable tool for the teacher who can engage theory to practice and theory to an understanding of past events with intention to better them.

2. Importance of Reflective Writing in Teaching

Considering the benefits of reflective writing and its effects on improving student learning, this essay will provide a clear conception of reflective writing, and why it’s important for students and teachers. This will be achieved by comparing and contrasting views based on my experience, the experience of a student in my “teaching lesson,” and information derived from reading a number of sources on reflective writing. To bring the essay to a concise closure, a short description of the extensive effects of reflective writing will be provided.

3. Examples of Reflective Writing in Teaching

Five examples of plan-based reflective writing have been developed by prospective primary school teachers. The examples illustrate how the teachers developed their reflection during the completion of the teaching task. Each piece of writing has annotations pointing out the features of the reflection and the successful aspects of the reflection, leading to why the reflection is useful (Appendix one). Following the completion of microteaching tasks, secondary school teacher trainees engaged in dialogue in dyads and wrote joint accounts of their discussions. They found that the joint writing enabled an in-depth analysis of the teaching and learning process and was a useful way of clarifying their thoughts. This resulted in several joint writing examples which were then submitted to the tutor who offered written feedback on the joint writing reflections (Appendix two). A case study involving a science teacher participating in an inservice programme explored the use of video stimulated recall (VSR) as a reflective tool. The teacher videoed his second lesson and then selected clips to view and comment on with a resource teacher across three meetings. Stimulated recall proved to be an effective way of confronting the teacher with his practice and illuminating the thinking underlying his actions. This is shown through a range of examples including verbatim transcripts (Appendix three). A variety of assignments have been developed where students are asked to examine a critical incident, for example, a lesson that did not go well, using a particular reflection tool. A science teacher who was given free rein to choose from a range of reflection tools chose a critical incident diary to help him decide what action to take on an issue that he had become aware of during his teaching practice. The reflective process had a substantial impact on his practice and brought about both immediate and eventually successful resolution on the issue. A music student chose to reflect on an event using Brookfield’s lenses. This had a profound effect on her self-awareness about her teaching practice and led to a change in attitude. Both students later reported substantial learning as a result of these reflective assignments. Finally, teacher reflection has been brought to life through autoethnography whereby several students have written stories about a specific aspect of their teaching and shared and discussed them in a supportive environment. This has been shown to have a lasting effect on their professional learning and personal development as teachers. Overall, through these examples, it is clear that there is no one-size-fits-all reflection and different modes of reflection will suit different people and different situations.

4. Benefits of Incorporating Reflective Writing in Teaching

Reflective writing can also help teachers to understand their own experiences of their teaching at a deeper level. Gandhi said “we must be the change we want to see in the world,” and the importance of congruence between principles and practice in teaching are echoed by many educational writers (Hopkins and Misco, 2002; Light and Cox, 2001; Capel et al., 2005). If teachers want to live their teaching, then they must study their own practice, understand their own reactions to their actions, and be open to different perspectives. This all involves understanding oneself, which is often considered to be an important element of reflective practice (Caldicott, 2000). Boud et al. (1995) have considered the repertory grid to be a useful tool for understanding one’s own constructs and the principles and practices that we judge ourselves by. This is a complex tool which does require some training to use effectively, and much of the focused strategies suggested by various writers to think more deeply about one’s practice are built on similar ideas. An example of a tool suggested for the NQT by Capel et al. is an SWOT analysis of lessons, whilst this is simple in comparison to the repertory grid, the idea that a teacher should understand their own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to inform decisions for future actions is similar. In reality, reflective writing using a learning journal is a tool to understand one’s own practice which is simple to use and can be widely accessible to all teachers.

It is important for teachers to understand the principles and practices that underpin their teaching, and this can be done through many methods. But often it is through the experience of teaching, the collegial discussions that follow, and reading around the topic. Reflective writing using a learning journal enables all of these methods to be amalgamated into one. Johns (1995a) considers that the value of the written word in learning is underestimated and that reflection and learning are latterly linguistic processes. This is supported by the National Literacy Strategy (2001, cited in Capel et al., 2005) which states that children learn best when their literacy lessons are taught within other curricular areas. The consideration and assimilation of new ideas and concepts is a cognitive process which takes place in the mind, and the linguistic representation of these ideas enables it to be externalized and validated. This process can be both arduous and unsystematic and will sometimes result in cognitive dissonance as old perceptions and new knowledge collide and compete (Boud et al., 1985).

4.1 Clarifying and Understanding Principles and Practice

Increasing learning, stimulating critical thinking, personal growth, enhancing professional practice, and cognitive process are among the general aims and objectives of teaching (Boyce, 1990). Reflective writing helps accomplish these aims by:

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, it seems that reflective writing is an important tool for all students to possess, but the act of teaching it to students may be an entirely different issue. The writing of reflection on what has been learned can help an individual to solidify that knowledge and even to expound upon the knowledge and take it to higher levels. The act of reflection can also aid students in gaining a better understanding of their chosen field, the interrelations between various areas of knowledge, the big picture and its details. All of these are valuable tools for students, and for educators who wish to create self-sufficient learners. However, teaching students to write reflectively may be difficult. Today’s education is focused on the need for concrete evidence and provable conclusions. Students have been trained to question essay writing of any kind which lacks a ‘thesis, evidence, conclusion’ schema and reflective writing may not always provide this. This may lead to students feeling lost or that they have not actually attained what was required of them. An educator must use wisdom in determining when and where to require reflective writing, and as stated previously if the students are not ready or shown the value of utilizing this tool it is not likely that they will perform the act outside of its requirements.