Reflection is a crucial skill for teachers. We may think we are engaging in reflection when we talk to colleagues about our classes, but throwaway comments such as, “My lesson went well” or “ My students were terrible today” tell us nothing. We need to analyse and evaluate what happened in the classroom this can lead to improvements in our teaching. We need to ask ourselves more probing questions such as:
- Why did the lesson work?
- What were the students doing, when and why?
To analyse and evaluate a lesson we first need to collect information about. One of the easiest and most effective ways of collecting information is to begin a reflection diary. My reflection diary began as a way for me to keep track of what I did in the lesson and evolved into a tool which documented the method of the teaching. When I reflect I like to think about how much teacher talking time there was in the lesson, was the lesson teacher centred or student centred, did I use concept checking questions (C.C.Q.), did the students participate, did I scaffold the language, and what can be improved? Just as each teacher is different, each reflection diary will also be different. Modify your diary to suit your needs and the needs of your students.
I encourage all of my students to record the English conversations they have in class. The students use these recordings as the foundation for a self-evaluation session. The students reflect on their performance and think about what was good and what could be improved. They can listen to the conversation through the privacy of their smartphones. These sessions help the students pinpoint areas they would like to improve. Having seen how effective this was with my students I decided to record my lessons. An audio or video recording can give you extra information about your lesson that you may have missed when completing your reflection diary. Lessons can often pass in a blur and it is impossible for a teacher to answer a question on teacher talking time by merely looking back on a lesson, hard evidence is needed, an audio or video recording fulfils that need. If you are concerned about the level of teacher talking time, or how clear your instructions were, or how you respond to students, an audio or video recording will answer these questions.
The information you have gained from your reflection activities can be used to help you improve your teaching. Think about what the information tells you about your teaching, immerse yourself in relevant literature, talk to colleagues, reflect as a group, ask questions and attend your local TESOL chapter meetings. The art of reflection is an inventive circle, continue to gather the information and implant your changes.
Other ways to reflect:
Peer observation: A trusted and knowledgable colleague can help you reflect. Ask a colleague to sit in on your class and take notes on your lesson. You can ask the colleague to focus their feedback on the area you want to improve or it can be a general observation.
Student Evaluations: Students are the people that matter in a classroom. They know a lot about education, most students have spent a large portion of their life in education, use their knowledge. Simple questionnaires can give you information that you will find valuable. I encourage my students to keep a reflection diary in which they record their feelings about the lesson, we can then reflect on this information in a group or individually.
Over to you: If you have any other methods of reflecting on your classes please contact me by leaving a comment or email me, thanks. [email protected]