Reflective teacher

**abu ghararah** · 27-12-2009, 09:28 PM

Reflective teacher
A process of self- observation and self-evaluation which begins in our classroom.

*They suggested 5 basic assumptions:
1.An informed teacher has an extensive knowledge base about teaching.
2.Much can be learned about teaching through self-inquiry.
3.Much of what happens in teaching is unknown to teacher.
4.Teaching experience alone is insufficient
5.Critical reflection can provide a deeper understanding of teaching

*Why do we study the Reflective Teaching?
A. To gain awareness of our teaching beliefs and practices.
B. To see teaching differently.

*Teacher decision making:
A. Pre-lesson decision: what does he already have about teaching-learning process.
B. During-lesson decision: what he decides to do teacher’s decisions which are informed by his background and previous experience.
c. Post-lesson decision: Evaluation.

* Tools for Reflective Teaching/Gathering information:
Beginning the process of reflection-in response to a particular problem that has arisen with one of your classes.

1*. Five- minute paper: ”Teacher diary”It is a direct way of finding out how earners are perceiving and responding to our efforts as teachers.
* Some points must be taken in account in “Five –minute paper”.
A- Their names should not be appeared on the paper.
B- No looking for grammar, spelling..…etc, but only for the ideas they convey.
C- Reading their answers to improve my teaching not to evaluate their progress.

2* Formative Teacher Assessment Surveys:
A complement to five-minute papers is to schedule several surveys of students perceptions of how well the course is going It might include: textbook, material and assignments in the course .It is “Teacher replacement survey”
A course must be divided into three periods according to the length of the course.
I gather informative assessment information through students surveys after the third, eighth and thirteenth of class.
A- The first survey serves as a window into Student’s initial responses, to the course .
B- The second one is to develop understandings and impressions of both the course &teacher’s roles
-The first two surveys directly impact on the teacher decisions.
C- The third one is to avoid the repetition of the course through student’s comments.

3*- Student Focus Groups :
-The use of student focus groups is a simple idea but it takes careful planning.
-In language teaching students focus groups engage either all members of a class or a subset of learners in a discussion of how a course is going .
*Choose one you trust, and whom you have a constructive working relationship.
*Invite him “your colleague” to visit the class for a lesson during which Ss. you will not be prepared for the lesson
*Teacher’s role is to lead the whole class in a discussion of broad topics such as :
-How is the course going?
-What do you like about the course ?

4*- Retrospective field notes :
It is a simple way to gather information on teaching is write down “document” you understandings and explanations of what you are doing in the course through retrospective field notes.
* Field notes are not genera led during lessons, but only after the lesson has finished.
- Why do we use it ?
- Reflective teachers use this procedure to save their notes over time .

5*-Formative Feedback From Peers :”peer observation”
A classic way of gathering information to formative feedback is to invite a peer-”substitute teacher” ,To come into your class to collect information about Your lesson .This will relate back to the area you have identified to “student focus “.group

*The search for multiple perspectives :
The search for multiple perspectives relates to two Essential stages of reflective teaching:
A- Gathering information (the data collection stage .)
B- Making the decisions for changing (interpretation stage)