Student Teachers’ Reflections of Teaching during SchoolTeaching PracticeStavroula Kaldi, Univesity of

Thessaly, GreeceGeorge Pyrgiotakis, University of Thessaly, GreeceAbstract: This paper focuses on

student teachers’ levels of reection of teaching after their rst exper-iences in the classroom as
teachers and an attempt to contribute to the discussion of re ection on thepart of student teachers is
made. Based on the theoretical framework of socio-cultural and socialtheories of learning, prospective
teachers’ teaching journals - soon after their rst and subsequentteaching experience - were analysed.
Adapting the broad domain (pragmatic, ethical and moral domainsof re ection) and deep aspect (open
and closed forms of reection) of teacher re ection, an attemptto investigate how far these domains
are approached by student teachers when re ecting their teachingand how far this can contribute to
their future teaching, is made. In the rst phase of the research 120student teachers’ teaching journals
expressing four different levels of reection after teaching wereused as analysis tools. In the second
phase the same student teachers’ teaching journals were examinedfor open or closed aspects of
reection after subsequent experiences of teaching in the next semesterof their studies. From the
ndings it is evident that all student teachers applied only the pragmaticdomain of re ection and in
fewer cases the ethical and moral domains whereas they did not use thedeep aspect of re ection
except rare cases.Keywords: Student Teachers, Re ection, Teaching
PracticeIntroductionPROFESSIONALISATION HAS BECOME a very important issue in the eld
ofcompulsory education. Being a professional requires re ecting on own work (Schön1983).
Reection and self-evaluation is considered as an important mental action inteaching, because, as
Freire concludes “I cannot teach with clarity unless I recognisemy ignorance, unless I nd out what I do
not know, what I have learnt” (Freire 1996: 2).Teachers must considertheir beliefs, assumptions and
biases regarding teaching and learning,and investigate how those beliefs in uence their classroom
practice. In order the teacher tobe able to re ect on his teaching and pupils’ learning he needs to be
prepared during thepre-service education course. Learning to re ect on, about or during teaching
becomes ne-cessary as many student teachers tend to replicate the teachers they experienced as
school-age learners without reecting and the action usually unfolds without thought (see Lortie1975)
thus, action becomes habitual (Kember et al. 1999). Moreover, 21st century teachereducation
programmes value techniques for ‘best practices’ which are generated from ‘outside’the teacher and
could be disconnected from one’s experiences therefore, helping studentteachers to re ect upon their
experiences to construct new, more mature knowledge informingsubsequent practice appears to be
signicant in teacher preparation courses. Student teachers’epistemological perspectives about
teaching and reection on it could move from the actua

Human beings will perform for the person they love.” If a person loves himself, he will do it for himself.
If he does not have that high self-esteem or belief in self, he will have to do it for someone else until the
time comes that he does love himself. (p. 20) Fay and Funk’s notion of belief in self is relatable to the
classroom; students may not have developed this belief in self, and may perceive everything as too
difficult. More 10 often than not, teachers may not even know the personal details of children’s lives at
home. They will only know details if a counselor, parent, or the child divulges this information.
Therefore, it is not prudent to focus relationship-building strategies with only specific students that are
known to have a rough past, but to build relationships with every child in the classroom. Hopefully, this
could encourage students to build belief in themselves and foster their own resilience.
Fay, J., & Funk, D. (1995). Teaching with love & logic: Taking control of the classroom. Golden, CO: Love
and Logic Press.

Fisher, Frey, and Hattie (2017) state that teacher-student relationships have an effect size of 0.72. This
means that teacher-student relationships can enhance learning by a great deal since any effect size
greater than 0.40 is considered a high effect size

Wong, Wong, and Seroyer (2009) write, “Effective teaching is all about teacher-student relationships.
The easiest way to build relationships with students is to use a well-managed classroom where students
are on task, allowing you to spend one-on-one time with them” (p. 68). This logic is sound; it makes
sense that teachers will only be able to build relationships in a setting that is calm and undercontrol

Classroom management refers to the overall efficiency of the day-to-day flow of the classroom.
Classroom management was reported as having a 0.52 effect size, which is higher than the average 0.40
(Fisher, Frey, & Hattie, 2017). The reasoning for this could be illustrated by imagining how a classroom
would operate without structure or any expectations. Efficiency of even one factor, such as a daily
schedule, can make a difference in how much students accomplish in one day. This example along with
the effect size could indicate the importance of using effective strategies to manage a classroom.

s Love and Logic; this strategy operates on respect for students, giving students a chance to make
choices, preventing behaviors from occurring, and using empathy when providing consequences (Fay &
Funk, 1995). For example, if a student was choosing not to work during class, the teacher might respond
by calmly saying, “You can either choose to do it do it now or choose to do it during recess. It is
completely up to you.” This demonstrates respect for the student by staying calm, shows the student is
in charge of the choice, and may prevent further idle time in the classroom

Some programs focus on classroom and schoolwide management. Positive Behavior Interventions and
Supports (PBIS) is a program that focuses on preventing behaviors in the classroom through use of
“systematic teaching of those behavioral expectations” (Carter & Pool, 2012, p. 315). Regular
maintenance of a working system makes more sense than trying to repair it after it is broken. For
instance, teaching students the expectations for standing in the lunch line could ensure they are
successful during this transition. This process of teaching expectations for behavior would be logical,
especially for students who may have a difficult time reacting rationally due to increased stress or coping
with trauma. If expectations are in place, this could alleviate the possibility of an unstructured time that
may lead to stress. The perception in which teachers view their level of control in the classroom could
also be an indicator of how they make decisions, and which decisions they decide to make. “The concept
of locus of control” is defined as “the general belief of a person about the extent to which the
consequences of events are under his/her own control” (Bedel, 2012, p. 3052). Two main types, external
or internal, would be a determining factor. If teachers believe more wholeheartedly that outside factors
influence events, known as having an external locus of control, this may lead them to give up more
easily. On the other hand, if teachers with an internal locus of control believe events are more heavily
influenced by the decisions they make, this may lead them to try harder or make more careful decisions
in the classroom.
s. Therefore, the need for consistency in classroom procedures and teacher reactions are equally as
important. The findings showed staying calm and not having “surprises” were deemed important by
both teachers. This illustrates how having calm and caring adults available as role models to students
could help in building resilience (Arincorayan et al., 2017). Demonstrating this consistency as the adult
role model in the classroom could help students see a positive example of how to handle day-to-day
tasks, including interacting with others or handling conflicts.

A study on the practice of looping showed benefits of stronger teacher-student relationships; looping is
a term used to describe the instance when a teacher stays with the same class for two years in a row
(Barshay, 2018b). Barshay’s 2018 article describes how students who had the same teacher for several
years in a row performed higher on achievement tests than students who received instruction using a
different method, called platooning; platooning is a phrase referring to the practice of different teachers
specializing in just a few subjects, and rotating amongst the students. With the platooning method,
students would be spending less time with each teacher. This simple comparison highlights the idea that
teacher-student relationships can boost students’ achievement.

The ability to reflect and act upon the judgements made is important for
one to be a successful teacher, allowing for personal growth and
development. The reflective practitioner is one whom is able to ‘look
back’ at particular actions and evaluate whether the practice was
successful or not (McGregor, 2011, p.3). As a result of effective
reflection, the teacher is able to create targets that have the sole
purpose of improving professional practice (Booth, 2011, p. 20). If the
teacher has an active role in creating these targets it allows them to be
organised in their own continuous development and prepare for their
own learning process (Booth, 2011. p.20).

My philosophy regarding classroom management is ensuring that as an educator, I provide a

safe and welcoming classroom that is engaging and fulfils students with encouragement to
provide constructive participation (McDonald 2019). Constructive participation builds courage
within students, essentially creating a classroom of self-disciplined students (McDonald 2019). I
believe it is important to connect with students.  As educators, we are essentially building trust
with students to reinforce an environment that creates a sense of belonging (Brendtro,
Brokenleg & Van Bockern, 2004).
My role as a teacher in the classroom is first to create a safe and welcoming classroom. 
Students have a need to feel significant, this results as feeling appreciated and accepted
(Alder 1937). As an educator, I believe that by greeting students with a smile before
class begins and talking to them about their life outside of school, I can create a bond
and level of trust that reinforces my role as a teacher, being that the student feels safe
and accountable in my learning space (McDonald 2019).

I want to base my lesson plans around the instructional management model by Jacob
Kounin (McDonald 2019).  I believe this mixed teaching approach will allow me to
effectively create clear and organised lesson plans where expectations are outlined
(McDonald 2019).  Kounin’s (1970) theory would allow me as a teacher, to constantly
keep a high level of ‘Whithitness’, meaning I would be constantly aware of my
surroundings and always keep my students within  eyesight (McDonald 2019).  On the
first lesson of the year, my lesson plan must have clear expectations, clear transitions,
completed content and encourage students to be engaged at all times (McDonald 44).

I believe that teachers should recognise that students flourish in caring and supportive
environments (Brondenbrenner 2005). I believe implementing Bronfenbrenner’s (2005)
ideas into my classroom management theory to help me create an environment that
reinforces feelings of mastery, belonging and student success (McDonald 2019).  If my
classroom layout is evenly spread and desks are not too close together, this can help
create a positive working youth environment (McDonald 2019).  In focusing on using a
democratic approach in regards to the amount of coercion I use as a teacher, I believe
that I could guide my students into building upon their strengths (McDonald 2019).  I
could simply implement this by giving my students opportunities to find the correct
answers when asking questions in class by either helping them out directly or using the
broader classroom community to actively contribute to helping their peers (McDonald
2019).

In using Glassers (2005) choice theory to reinforce my lesson plan, I would be giving my
students some degree of choice in building up their skills of independency and mastery
strengths (McDonald 2019).  The significance in using Glasser (2005) choice theory in the
classroom is that coercion from the teacher becomes lessened, essentially aspiring
further democratic systems in the classroom rather than autocratic teaching systems
(McDonald 2019). I believe that a teacher, cannot forcefully make the student behave
through punishment and rewards, thus I believe establishing positive teacher student
relationships will guide the students into making positive behavioural choices
(McDonald 2019).
My positive learning framework aims to incorporate models and theories from a range
of theorist, as I believe their needs to be a diverse mixture in teaching styles to create a
classroom full of interactive and engaged students (McDonald 2019).  I believe the role
of a teacher is to provide a safe and engaging classroom. I also believe that a teacher is
responsible for each and every students education (McDonald 2019).  I see in myself
that I could fulfil this role of being a effective teacher by guiding my students to the
realisation that education and obedience can, and will, have a strong positive impact on
their lives (Charles 2013). I believe I can achieve this through creating engaging
relationships and vibrant and pertinent learning skills that result in my students
representing high levels of mastery and success (Charles 2013).

Now, more than ever – the educational system that I have been a part of – is constantly changing, constantly
trying to achieve more and be more. During these times it is important that there is always one constant in
this chaos – the relationship between a teacher and their student. Over the past year, my students have been
learning online and I always tried my best to ensure my classroom, albeit an online classroom, was still one in
which my students felt comfortable and like they belonged. This sense of belonging is something which is so
powerful for me, and important to include during this reflection. As soon as the question about which subject
I wanted to focus on for reflection came up, I absolultey knew I wanted to talk about the idea of creating a
positive classroom environment.

Introduction
What self-reflection is?
What topic and why?
What class and why?

Topic
What is it? Why is it important?
Why wasn’t it working in my classroom

Goal
Improving self-confidence and participation among all students
Creating an overall positive classroom environment

Implementation
Gamification
Classroom structure/rules

Outcomes