Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust Being a Teacher Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust

Foundations of Teaching for Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 3: Influences on my learning Lecture 3.2 Reflective practice

The nature and value of reflective practice What do I understand by reflective practice? Why is it considered important? What does it mean for me in my classroom?

Taken-for-granted knowledge? Reflective thinking moves us away from routine thinking/action (guided by tradition or external authority) towards reflective action (involving careful, critical consideration of taken-for-granted knowledge). It starts with experience and stresses how we learn from ‘doing’, that is from practice, formulating ad testing hypotheses as we go.

Tacit knowledge The term “tacit knowing” or “tacit knowledge” refers to knowledge that people are often not aware that they possess it nor how it can be valuable to others. So effective transfer of tacit knowledge usually requires extensive personal contact, regular interaction and trust.

Reflection is critical Unless teachers develop the practice of critical reflection, they stay trapped in unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and expectations. Approaching teaching as a reflective practitioner involves fusing personal beliefs and values into a professional identity. (Larrivee, 2000, p.293)

Values, beliefs and hypotheses My values Deep conviction, unlikely to change or to change easily CHANGE My beliefs ‘I think that… but I am open to change My hypotheses Ideas or strategies that need to be put to the test

Testing hypotheses What would happen if……. What’s the worst that could happen? What’s the best that could happen?

The reflective practitioner: Two types of reflection reflection-on-action (after-the-event thinking) reflection-in-action (thinking while doing)

Reflection-on-action (after-the-event thinking) What went well today? WHY? What did not go so well? What will I do differently next time?

Three Rs Retrospection: thinking back about a situation or experience Review: critically analysing and evaluating the actions and feelings associated with the experience, using theoretical perspectives Reorientation: using the results of reflection to influence future approaches to similar situations or experiences.” (Quinn, 2000, p.82)

Reflection-in-action: (thinking while doing) What is happening here? What are students doing? What are the differences among them? What have I done? What am I doing? What am I going to do next?

Self awareness Critical thinking Reflection How aware am I? How do I reflect and how critical am I of my own practice? Self awareness Critical thinking Reflection

Foundations of Teaching for Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 3: Influences on my learning Lecture 3.2 Reflective practice

Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust Being a Teacher Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust