Developing a personal philosophy of teaching

Reflective teaching:

implies an active concern with aims and consequences as well as means and technical efficiency

requires attitudes of open-mindedness, responsibility and wholeheartedness

is applied in a cyclical or spiralling process in which teachers monitor, evaluate and revise their own practice continuously

Pollard (2002).

To be an effective teacher

You need to know who you are (Korthagen)

You need to understand your past

People bring different beliefs, expectations and perceptions to teaching.

Beliefs influence actions and influence what you see, what you bring to situations

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Argyris

Reflection is an essential tool for a teacher

There are many definitions of reflection

A process for improving practice by becoming professionally self-aware through identifying assumptions in decisions and responses within the learning teaching relationship, and judging those assumptions for their appropriateness in the light of a developing and critiqued educational vision

Norsworthy (2002)

Reflection is thinking about an experience with the intention of deciding what it means, how it can be explained and what the meaning and explanations might imply in the future. It includes thinking about the character and quality of such thinking and associated thoughts.

Haigh (2000).

How to do it?

Needs to be taught.

Ask why questions.

Guided reflection protocol Hole and Hall-McEntee (1999)

1. What happened?2. Why did it happen?3. What might it mean?4. What are the implications for my practice?

Egs

Colin Gibbs

Becoming a teacher is a journey – a journey that always begins with ourselves.

Levels of reflection

Reflection

• Is about more than practicum

• Is future focussed.

Your reflective diary

• Are you actively reflecting on your observations and experiences?

• Are you raising things that have puzzled you?• Are you questioning the taken-for-granted?• What level of the onion are you working at in your

reflections?• Are you developing a personal philosophy of teaching?

What is important to you?• In your opinion what makes a good teacher?