Prepared By: Mrs. Ola Atef Zidan Ministry of Education Al-Farwaniya Educational Zone Lulwa Al-Osaimi P.S. For Girls English Department Head of Department: Mrs. Wesam Mohammad School Principal: Mrs. Wadha Alhajeri E. L. T. Supervisor: Mrs. Fatheya Aljamiaan E. L. T. Senior Supervisor: Mrs. Maha Elebrahim

Read With Me One day a young girl was watching her mother cooking a roast of beef. Just before the mother put the roast in the pot, she cut a slice off the end. The ever observant daughter asked her mother why she had done that, and the mother responded that her grandmother had always done it. Later that same afternoon, the mother was curious, so she called her mother and asked her the same question. Her mother, the child's grandmother, said that in her day she had to trim the roasts because they were usually too big for a regular pot. ** Teaching without reflection can lead to "… cutting the slice off the roast", and can also lead to burnout on the job. One way of identifying routine and of counteracting burnout is to engage in reflective teaching.

What is Reflection?

Reflection * Dewey (1933) defines reflection as "active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or practice." * Robertson and Yiamouyiannis (1996) describe the process of becoming a reflective instructor as expanding the depth and range of questions you ask about your own teaching, undertaking a more systematic approach to practices, and collaborating with others who have similar interests and questions. * In fact, the quality of teaching is closely influenced by the professional growth of teachers and the relationship with their colleagues. It is a means to achieve professional development.

Reflective Teaching

Why is it important? * Many teachers already think about their teaching and talk to colleagues about it too. You might think or tell someone that "My lesson went well" or "My pupils didn't seem to understand" or "My pupils were so badly behaved today”. * Reflective teaching therefore implies a more systematic process of collecting, recording and analyzing our thoughts and observations, as well as those of our pupils, and then going on to make changes.

The Process of Reflection The process of reflection begins with gathering information about what happens in the class. Gathering Information Peer Observation Recording Lessons Pupils’ Feedback Teacher’s Diary Group Discussion

Group Discussion Group discussion can simply be a group of teachers who come together for regular meetings to reflect on their work.

Teacher’s Diary * It involves completing an inventory or chick list or writing a written account of what teacher is doing in the classroom. * It can help the teacher to find out the kinds of teaching activities being regularly used, the degree to which personal goals for a class are being met and the kind of activities that seem to work well or not to work well. * However, this kind of reflection can be time consuming since teachers are very busy in their daily teaching and other related duties.

Peer Observation Invite a colleague to come into your class to collect information about your lesson. This may be with a simple observation task or through note taking. This will relate back to the area you have identified to reflect upon.

How to Carry out Peer Observation Each participant would both observe and be observed. Teachers would work in pairs and take turns observing each other's classes. Prior to each observation, the two teachers would meet to discuss the kind of material being taught, the kinds of pupils in the class, and any problems that might be expected. The teacher being observed would also assign the observer a goal for the observation and a task to accomplish. The two teachers would meet as soon as possible after the lesson. The observer would report on the information that had been collected and discuss it with the teacher.

Peer Observation

Recording Lessons Video Recordings Recording Lessons Audio Recordings

Audio Recordings **Audio recordings can be useful for considering aspects of teacher talk: How much do you talk? What about? Are instructions and explanations clear? How much time do you allocate to pupil's talk? How do you respond to pupil's talk?

Video Recordings **Video recordings can be useful in showing you aspects of your own behavior: Where do you stand? Who do you speak to? How do you come across to the pupils?

A Classroom Video Recording

Pupils’ Feedback You can also ask your pupils what they think about what goes on in the classroom. Their opinions and perceptions can add a different and valuable perspective.

Conclusion Reflective teaching can be a powerful impetus for teacher development. Reflective teaching involves changes in the way we usually perceive teaching and our role in the process of teaching. Reflective teaching suggests that experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience with reflection.