Reflective Teaching

Chapter 4

Reporters:
Aldrin L. Guarino
Armie Kyla Maranga
Leah Mae Azores
 Aims

• The concept of reflection

• Kolb’s learning cycle
• Reflective teaching
• Means of collecting classroom data
• Teaching diaries
• Recording lessons
• Peer observation
By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is
noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience,
which is the bitterest.

(Confucius)
Kolb’s reflective learning cycle
Experience
action past/present

Planning Observation
making plans in order documenting
What happened
To take (further) action

Reflection
Making sense, investigating,
theorising
 Reflective teaching

- Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking

about why you do it, and thinking about if it works.

- a process of self-observation and self-evaluation.

 Reflective teaching

Reflection can occur at any time. It may be whilst you follow the materials in this
course or it may happen as you prepare or deliver your own lessons.

A good time for reflection is after a lesson and it is good practice to record your
thoughts.
Reflective teaching – how to start

Asking ‘what and why questions’

 Means of gathering classrrom data

• Maintaining a teaching diary

• Recording a lesson
• Receiving feedback from students
• Inviting a colleague to observe you/ Peer Observation
Teaching diaries
 Teaching diaries – questions to ask

Lesson objectives
• Did the students understand what we did in the lesson?
• Was what we did too easy or too difficult?
• What problems did the students have (if any)?
• Was there a clear outcome for the students?
• What did they learn or practice in the lesson? Was it useful for them?
 Teaching diaries – questions to ask

Activities and materials

• What different materials and activities did we use?
• Did the materials and activities keep the students interested?
• Could I have done any parts of the lesson differently?
 Teaching diaries – questions to ask

Students
• Were all the students on task (i.e. doing what they were supposedto be doing)?
• If not, when was that and why did it happen?
• Which parts of the lesson did the students seem to enjoy most? And least?
• How much English did the students use?
 Teaching diaries – questions to ask

Classroom management
• Did activities last the right length of time?
• Was the pace of the lesson right?
• Did I use whole class work, groupwork, pairwork, or individual work?
• What did I use it for? Did it work?
• Did the students understand what to do in the lesson?
• Were my instructions clear?
• Did I provide oppurtunities for all the students to participate?
• Was I aware of how all of the students were progressing?
 Teaching diaries – questions to ask

Technology
• How more tech-oriented could the lesson be made, regarding my, my school and
my learners available devices.
 Teaching diaries – questions to ask

Overall
• If I taught the lesson again, what would I do differently?
 Recording lessons

 Audio recordings (useful for considering aspects of teachers talk)

 How much do you talk?
 What about?
 Are instructions and explanations clear?
 How much time do you allocate to student talk?

 Video recordings (useful in showing you aspects of your own behaviour)

 Where do you stand?
 Who do you speak to?
 Peer observation

 To both observe and be observed

 The pre-observation session

 The observation
 The post-observation session
Reflection is cyclical.
Change is the only constant.
(Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher)