Week 17 - Reflective Practice
Jay and Johnson (2002) Reflective Model
Step 1 (Descriptive stage): Briefly describe your current reflective practice
Thinking about my own reflective practices after watching and reading the required class documents, I feel a bit embarrassed to say what I do or what I don’t do. In Linda Finlay’s (2008) article ‘Reflecting on Reflective Practice’ she gave an example quote:
“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)
The first part of Larrivee’s (2000) quote made me question myself. Am I trapped? I know I make judgments, interpretations, assumptions on my students learning as well as my teaching practices all the time through my own observations on what is happening in the classroom. But I feel I have easily made unexamined judgments, interpretations and assumptions too, due to my understanding or lack of understanding, of the importance to practice critical reflection.
Step 2 (Comparative stage): Reflect on alternatives and other viewpoints in light of research
According to my results to the first question of the survey, I answered how I’ve always thought. If I can’t criticise my own work, I shouldn’t criticise my colleagues. However, I welcome critical feedback and expect it in my profession whether the outcome is successful or not. Though I welcome it, looking at my response to the second question, I believe I reflect all the time, making my own judgements and evaluations and these are often shared and discussed with colleagues. But as I continue to read Findlay’s article I start to feel that what I think I do as reflective may actually just be surface evaluation. Zeichner and Liston (1996) came up with five different levels at which reflection can take place during teaching and the more I read them, the more I know I need to gain more practice in reflecting for purpose.
Step 3 (Critical reflection) Given these various perspectives and the implications
- How does this reflective process inform and renew your perspective?
- What are the implications for your reflective practice when viewed from these alternative perspectives?
One thing I have confirmed for myself in this Reflective Practice, is that I can’t expect to grow, learn or change effectively without practice and theory. Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988) suggests that practice and theory enrich each other in a never-ending circle. I’ve always known that reflecting on your own practices is an important part of growing mindsets and changing behaviours, however this weeks readings and research has me realising my knowledge of reflecting is very limited.
So where to from here? Hopefully over the weeks it will be evident through this blog that I will have grown more creative and reflective in my postings.
Resources:
Jay, J.K. and Johnson, K.L. (2002). Capturing complexity: a typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 73-85.
Skills Team Hull Uni. (2014, March 3). Reflective writing.[video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoI67VeE3ds
Finlay, L. (2009). Reflecting on reflective practice. Practice-based Professional Learning Centre, Open University. Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/sites/www.open.ac.uk.opencetl/files/files/ecms/web-content/Finlay-(2008)-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf
TeachingEnglish Website (2011). Reflective Teaching - Exploring our own classroom practice. Retrieved from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/reflective-teaching-exploring-our-own-classroom-practice
Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(3), 293-307.
Yang, S., H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Educational Technology & Society, 12(2), 11-21.
School of Education, UoN (2014, February 14). Reflective Practice - Slideshare. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/Rayedish/reflective-practice-44666975
