Standard 6 Reflective practice in diverse settings: Educators should continually reflect on their practice to extend their knowledge, improve their teaching, and refine their evolving philosophies of education.They should stay abreast of developments in the profession, and be able to think critically about various teaching practices. Educators should continually strengthen their knowledge of subject matter through scholarly study, professional reading, and discussion with colleagues.They should deepen their understanding of children’s learning and development through classroom-based action research. Educators should be open to change and innovation, continually engaging in the process of professional growth.
Standard 6 requires educators to continually reflect and make adjustments to their teaching styles and methods. This is an important standard because educators need to realize that not all children are the same and what may work for one child, may not extend to another. Also, a part of teaching is to commit to engage yourself in lifelong learning. Philosophies about eduction are not static, and to be a good teacher is to always be searching for better techniques, ideas, and methods to improve your teaching. Professional growth sets a strong model for the students of that educator and also benefits the educator’s knowledge.
Standard 6 has several components surrounding teachers’ reflective practices. In EDU 316, the professor gave us a set of field work questions to answer. These questions asked us to reflect on our pre-practicum experience and to evaluate teaching practices that occurred in the classroom (Artifact 6A: Field Work Questions). During this reflective piece, I realized how important it was to have a sense of culture in a classroom environment and that is what was lacking from my current placement. It is now fascinating to review these reflections and see what parts of my supervising teacher’s methods I would like to bring into my own classroom and which ones I do not want to repeat. I hope to have my current supervising teachers reflect on my own teaching practices to improve my own teaching.
In one of my education classes at Wheelock, we were required to read “What Does It Take to Make a Teacher?” by Loewenberg Ball and Francesca Forzani. This article discusses how new teachers need to obtain professional skills and also the knowledge on how to use them. This was an interesting point that just because I have sat through professional developments or had meetings with my teachers, does not mean I have the knowledge on how to use my professional skills. I think it’s important to keep an open mind, especially during the first years of teaching and this article supports teachers reflecting on their work and seeking outside advice from colleagues.
Karen Worth, the Chair of the Elementary Education Department at Wheelock College, observed my final lesson plan for my pre-practicum site. She provided written feedback on my lesson and then met with me about it (Artifact 6B: Analysis of a Single Lesson Plan Assignment: Observation Form). I then wrote a reflection about that observation (Artifact 6C: Reflection on Observation), which will help me learn from my mistakes and be a better teacher. This also ties into connecting my own teaching practices with philosophies of education. Part of EDU 316 was to write our own philosophies (Artifact 6D: My Personal Philosophy of Education).I have viewed my own philosophy several times since first creating the document and have made edits as I have grown and learned more about the field of education. Those edits are shown in red.
I strengthen my knowledge on subject matter by having a weekly planning meeting with my teachers to go over ideas and also to review material. The weekly planning meetings also help me become more open to change and innovation. They help me become an active member of my own professional development while working alongside colleagues. I also preview the reading curriculum before planning my reading group, morning meeting, and word attack activities. It is important to review the material before you teach it so you can anticipate what struggles students may have and what questions you still have about the material.
To deepen my understanding of children’s learning and development, I use classroom-based action research. In my current practicum site, the teachers and staff use a web-based system that keeps track of student behaviors from students. This is a great way for all staff to check in on a student and be on the same page without much conversation. A teacher can look up any student and see any notes or incidents written about that student from any other staff member. It is impressive and can be used to track data about certain students.
I struggle to stay abreast with developments of the profession, since Massachusetts is currently switching to the Common Core. My current practicum teacher expresses frustration on “not knowing” what to teach since she is learning with the students as she works through a new pacing guide.
Overall, reflecting on my practices and other teachers’ practices is something that is a life long commitment when you decide to teach. It is important to stay informed about current events and updates to the teaching field in order to best fit the needs of your students. Philosophies about education are constantly being updated, revised, and changed. As teachers, it is important to continue to refine our philosophy so that we are as effective as possible in promoting learning.
References
Loewenberg Ball, D. & Forzani, F.M. (2010). What does it take to make a teacher? Kappan. V92
N2. pp 8- 12.
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