Man In The Mirror

So something that I have been doing a lot of lately has been reflecting on the lessons I have taught this semester. Prior to being in Social Studies Methods, it never actually occurred to me that it might just be useful to watch myself teach! It turns out, when I paid attention to all of the little mannerisms and particular tendencies I have while teaching. There were some things I am really glad I did, and some things that I cannot wait to, well, correct.

Even the littlest of things such as my enthusiasm and movement in the classroom are two big factors that stood out to me. So, I made a plan to rehearse or write in (my lesson plan) several ways to get myself excited about the subject at hand). It wasn't anything big, but I am sure it will make a world of difference in my students' minds.

To expand on this, I think it is important to say that all teachers should go back and take a look at what is working and what is not working in their daily routine instruction. I was able to attend several Student Teaching Portfolio presentations this week, and one of the candidates described her best pedagogical technique is to evaluate what does well in the classroom. If it works, great. If not, toss it and find a new way to do it. 

This idea of reflection does not have to be as complex as recording your lessons to watch and dissect. If we set aside 15 minutes each day to think about the highs and lows of our instruction, we would probably be amazed at the great things our classroom can do. This is why I am very excited to get in the classroom and experience firsthand how to run and keep running a classroom. 

NCTCS Standard 5 (teachers reflect on their practice) is a direct correlation in regards to professional development, and I cannot wait to implement these practices into my future classroom. If nothing else, I will become a stronger teacher and maybe even inspire the teachers within my PLC to refine their own practices. I am excited to implement reflection in my classroom.