WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF REFLECTION?
Critical to the successful completion of all three assignments is your ability to become a reflective educator who can interpret observations in a meaningful way. First of all, let’s distinguish among the three levels of interpretation you will be engaged in during your field experience.
1. Pure Observation: This is simply taking in what is occurring in your classroom. It includes recording what you see, hear, and feel. At this point, this activity is non-judgmental. You are simply and accurately recording what you are observing.
2. Technical Reflection: This level of thinking asks you to analyze what you are observing in terms of research-based educational techniques. Think about what you are learning in your co-requisite courses regarding effective teaching and learning strategies and best practices that increase student achievement. Relate these methods to what you are observing in your classroom. Are the educational strategies and techniques working? What could increase student participation and learning? What looks really effective to you? What could be improved upon to better engage the learners? Include such items as classroom management systems and techniques, lesson planning and implementation, wait time, higher order questioning, learning styles and multiple intelligences.
3. Critical Reflection: This level of thinking asks you to analyze what you are observing in terms of the “big picture”. The essence of critical reflection is to examine one’s own assumptions and be willing to modify them when they interfere with the student’s best interests. Since your core values and experiences will drive your everyday teaching decisions, it is important to examine them carefully. In critical reflection, you will examine issues such as ethics, caring, social justice, diversity, ethnicity, culture and democratic practices. Ask yourself what is REALLY being taught in this classroom through the modeling, values, and attitudes conveyed by the teacher and the curriculum?
Each type of reflection will be important in the three required written reports.
WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT WHEN WE REFLECT?
By “reflective thinking” we mean ”to look deeply into what you are seeing, hearing, and doing.” Reflective teachers consider a variety of factors when making crucial decisions. They also consider multiple factors when analyzing classroom teaching.
These factors include what you know about students, subject matter, the surrounding context, and yourself:
2 students’ interests, special needs, culture, characteristics, and learning styles
3 the content and goals of the curriculum: key concepts, skills, and attitudes
4 the methods of instruction and assessment
5 the surrounding physical, social, and political conditions and influences
6 who you are: your characteristics and the assumptions that influence how you interpret experiences
Am I supposed to think about all of these things whenever I make a decision? It is best to consider as many of these factors as possible when making a decision.
An example: You may observe a student who seems too loud as she is working with her group. You could assume that the teacher’s discipline method is not working (one possible interpretation). However, consider more factors than just the teacher’s discipline methods before you judge the cause of this loud behavior. Ask yourself what you know (or can find out) about this student’s learning style, special needs and interests, the content she is supposed to be learning, how the group learning method was implemented, what time of day it is, and what other conditions might have affected this student. After checking out all of these factors, you might find out that the girl is very motivated on this day because she loves this activity, and this is rare. Therefore, the teacher has made an appropriate decision to allow the girl to express her unchecked enthusiasm today.
Note that this teacher engaged in all levels of reflection: observation of the student, technical reflection on the group learning methodology, and critical reflection on what would be most caring or ethical for the student. Just as considering multiple factors allowed a more accurate assessment of what was really going on in this example, your reflective interpretation of such factors will allow you to make better professional decisions.
In order to write an acceptable report, it is necessary for you to make detailed notes each time you visit your classroom. Included in your course pack is a suggested format to record your observations and make relevant notes regarding your interpretation of these observations. You may copy this format as needed. Please note that you will NOT be required to pass in these notes with Assignments #1 and #2. You WILL be required to turn in these notes with Assignment #3.
It is important to review the FETE 301/302 Timeline found on the next page because even though Assignment #3 is not due until near the end of the term, you must begin it by your third visit to your classroom. The documentation of each session with your assigned student will enable you to complete a satisfactory report for Assignment #3.
Also, please remember keep samples of student work (or copies) to include with your written report. Details regarding Assignment #3 are further explained later in the course pack.