BECOMING A CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE TEACHER STEPHEN BROOKFIELD UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL STEPHEN BROOKFIELD UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL

Best Teaching is Critically Reflective Identifying & checking the assumptions that inform how we practice – how we assess learning, sequence curriculum, deal with specific classroom problems, decide how best to teach complex ideas & skills

Types of Assumptions Causal – if I use this teaching approach it will engage students I learning / illustrate complex reasoning (e.g. Modeling critical thinking helps students learn to think critically Prescriptive – what a good teacher or class should involve (e.g. a good teacher uses a mixture of teaching approaches) Paradigmatic – structuring, framing assumptions we take for granted regarding the nature of teaching (e.g. teaching is a trajectory of improvement) Causal – if I use this teaching approach it will engage students I learning / illustrate complex reasoning (e.g. Modeling critical thinking helps students learn to think critically Prescriptive – what a good teacher or class should involve (e.g. a good teacher uses a mixture of teaching approaches) Paradigmatic – structuring, framing assumptions we take for granted regarding the nature of teaching (e.g. teaching is a trajectory of improvement)

How Do We Uncover & Check Assumptions STUDENTS’ EYES COLLEAGUES’ PERCEPTIONS OUR AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AS LEARNERS THEORY & RESEARCH STUDENTS’ EYES COLLEAGUES’ PERCEPTIONS OUR AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AS LEARNERS THEORY & RESEARCH

Using the 4 lenses Students’ Eyes – Classroom Assessment Approaches (CIQ, 1 Minute paper, Muddiest Point, learning Audit) Colleagues’ Perceptions – team teaching, reciprocal peer evaluation, talking teaching groups Autobiography as a Learner – learning something new / professional development Theory/Research – cognitive development, racial & cultural traditions, building trust Students’ Eyes – Classroom Assessment Approaches (CIQ, 1 Minute paper, Muddiest Point, learning Audit) Colleagues’ Perceptions – team teaching, reciprocal peer evaluation, talking teaching groups Autobiography as a Learner – learning something new / professional development Theory/Research – cognitive development, racial & cultural traditions, building trust

Most Important Knowledge We Need CRITICAL INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE Moment most engaged as a learner Moment most distanced as a learner Action anyone took that was most helpful Action anyone took that was most puzzling What surprised you most CRITICAL INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE Moment most engaged as a learner Moment most distanced as a learner Action anyone took that was most helpful Action anyone took that was most puzzling What surprised you most

How the CIQ is Administered Last 5 minutes of last class of week Main themes reported out at start of 1 st class of the following week Talk about how data influence how you teach ADVANTAGES Illustrates learning diversity for students Models critical thinking Early warning device NEGOTIATION NOT CAPITULATION Last 5 minutes of last class of week Main themes reported out at start of 1 st class of the following week Talk about how data influence how you teach ADVANTAGES Illustrates learning diversity for students Models critical thinking Early warning device NEGOTIATION NOT CAPITULATION

What We Find – Different Worlds in the Same Classroom Speechless Discussion Chalk Talk – Teacher writes a question in the center of the board Students come to board & post responses simultaneously Students draw lines to connect comments Teacher & students code clusters & questions Take photos, post online, springboard Speechless Discussion Chalk Talk – Teacher writes a question in the center of the board Students come to board & post responses simultaneously Students draw lines to connect comments Teacher & students code clusters & questions Take photos, post online, springboard

What We Find – Power is A Permanent Presence & Dynamic How power moves around the classroom When teacher power is abused or used ethically & responsibly Assumptions of How Power Works: Teacher as fly on the wall Journals & mandated confessionals Visiting groups How power moves around the classroom When teacher power is abused or used ethically & responsibly Assumptions of How Power Works: Teacher as fly on the wall Journals & mandated confessionals Visiting groups

What We Find - Hegemonic Assumptions Ones we willingly embrace as being in our best interest – when in fact they are harming us ‘killing us softly’ Examples of Hegemonic Assumptions: The Perfect 10 Teaching as Vocation Ones we willingly embrace as being in our best interest – when in fact they are harming us ‘killing us softly’ Examples of Hegemonic Assumptions: The Perfect 10 Teaching as Vocation

What We Find - Modeling In Modeling Critical Reflection We Teach Critical Thinking The Most Frequently Mentioned Aid to Thinking Critically is Seeing it Modeled Publicly & Explicitly By a Teacher We Need to Earn the Right to Ask Students to Think Critically by First Taking the Risk to Think Critically Ourselves in Front of Them In Modeling Critical Reflection We Teach Critical Thinking The Most Frequently Mentioned Aid to Thinking Critically is Seeing it Modeled Publicly & Explicitly By a Teacher We Need to Earn the Right to Ask Students to Think Critically by First Taking the Risk to Think Critically Ourselves in Front of Them

Some Modeling Ideas … Speaking in Tongues Structured Devil’s Advocacy Ending Lectures & Discussions With Questions Teacher Point-Counterpoint in Team Teaching Assumptions Inventories What Do YOU Think Professor? Speaking in Tongues Structured Devil’s Advocacy Ending Lectures & Discussions With Questions Teacher Point-Counterpoint in Team Teaching Assumptions Inventories What Do YOU Think Professor?

Consequences & Risks Informed Actions as Teachers Improved Student Centered Teaching Broadened Teaching Repertoire Healthier Perspective – Ups & Downs Impostorship – I REALLY don’t know what I’m doing so I better keep quiet Lost Innocence – I’ll never get it ‘right’ so I better keep it quiet Informed Actions as Teachers Improved Student Centered Teaching Broadened Teaching Repertoire Healthier Perspective – Ups & Downs Impostorship – I REALLY don’t know what I’m doing so I better keep quiet Lost Innocence – I’ll never get it ‘right’ so I better keep it quiet

RESOURCES (Please Steal!) BECOMING A CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE TEACHER 1995 THE SKILLFUL TEACHER (2 nd. Ed) 2006 DISCUSSION AS A WAY OF TEACHING (2 nd. Ed) 2005 TEACHING FOR CRITICAL THINKING 2012 All published by Jossey-Bass (San Francisco) (Please Steal!) BECOMING A CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE TEACHER 1995 THE SKILLFUL TEACHER (2 nd. Ed) 2006 DISCUSSION AS A WAY OF TEACHING (2 nd. Ed) 2005 TEACHING FOR CRITICAL THINKING 2012 All published by Jossey-Bass (San Francisco)