Reflection+on+Our+Practice

The only way to improve is to engage in constant reflection on what we have done right and what we -- quite frankly -- have done wrong. 2010 Baltimore City Teacher of the Year Brian Rainville encourages teachers to acknowledge "failures." Euphemisms such as "areas for growth" tend to distance us and excuse us from responsibility. By acknowledging that we have failed in areas, we take ownership. We can then learn and move on. Likewise, knowing what we have done right empowers us to teach another day. It is wonderful to have a qualified observer come into our classrooms, but that isn't always possible. One thing we can do at then end of the day, week, quarter, or school year is to sit down and reflect on our own practice. Here are some guiding questions that can help you to begin this process.

These questions were taken from Robert Fried's //The Passionate Teacher.// I would encourage you to tweak these questions so that they are meaningful to you, copy them into a document, and spend some time every Friday -- or whenever you are struggling or just require some catharsis -- writing some answers to them. Then take what you have learned about your practice and use it to drive future instruction.

Teaching Log Questions

What was the moment (or moments) this week when I felt most connected, engaged, or affirmed as a teacher--the moment(s) I said to myself, “This is what being a teacher is really all about”?

What was the moment (or moments) this week when I felt most disconnected, disengaged, or bored as a teacher--the moment(s) when I said to myself, “I’m just going through the motions here”?

What was the situation that caused me the greatest anxiety or distress--the kind of situation that I kept replaying in my mind as I was dropping off to sleep, or that caused me to say to myself, “I don’t want to go through this again for a while”?

What was the event that took me by surprise--an event where I saw or did something that shook me up, caught me off guard, knocked me off my stride, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?

Of everything I did this week in my teaching, what would I do differently if I had the chance to do it again?

What do I feel proudest of in my teaching activities this week? Why?

Read how other special educators are handling life in and out of the classroom:

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