5 Tips for Teacher Reflection

It’s August and I am flying home from my last trip of the summer. This week, while trying to enjoy my last few days of vacation – it happened. The dreaded dream. Maybe, like me, you [still to this day!] have nightmares about teaching. Yes, my typical back to school nightmares have started. This one involved me slobbing out directions with a hideous mouth guard in, stumbling over my words and lisping pathetic reprimands at distracted students. Of course, the students laughed at me and I lost complete control of the class. This is a pattern, my recurring nightmare: something happens that causes me to lose complete control of my class or students become blatantly disrespectful and rebellious. You could say I have control issues. [I’m working on it.] 

Unfortunately, I will continue to have nightmares off and on until about one month in – when the daily activities have once again become routine and I have hit my stride. I look forward to this time, usually around October. I have a good handle on my students – which ones need more encouragement, which ones need a little tough love, and which classes I need to take a Xanax before.  I haven’t completely abandoned my carefully planned outline for the year, and students are still responding with enthusiasm when I ask them to discuss something that we’ve read. And it feels great. ​

I can’t wait until October. But we all have the dreaded times of year. [The stretch before spring break is pretty terrible, amirite?] This year, I want to approach those moments when the going is tough with a new attitude. One that might change the way I teach. Thanks to @teachertownsend for giving me this idea – I am going to approach the entire year with this guiding question: 

Would my school rehire me if I had to interview for my job right now?  

How am I innovating? Reflecting? Growing? Differentiating? What do I bring to the table? 

Image from: image: www.freeimages.co.uk

Reflection

Asking myself those questions is a conscious effort to continually reflect on my teaching. Typically, there is ample reflection at the end of the year: student surveys, evaluations, etc. For example, I spent a fair amount of time reflecting this last year on my end of the year student surveys. The reflection was valuable! I realized a few hard truths – that I didn’t get enough student buy-in to my new grading system, that I have a harder time teaching students with a fixed mindset, and I need to give more feedback and faster. But how could my year have been different if I had realized those things in January? How would my student outcomes have been different? I might have answers to those questions if I had been purposefully reflecting on an ongoing basis. 

So this year, my goals include more direct and repeated explanations of my grading philosophy, working closely with students who expect a more traditional teaching style, utilizing faster feedback systems, and MORE REFLECTION. I shouldn’t wait until the end of the year to figure out where I went wrong. I want to build in reflection to my year so that through trial and error and determined effort I can make every month more October-like. 

5 Tips for Better Teacher Reflection

1. Invite trusted colleagues into the classroom.  [My goal is to invite someone at least once a month.] First of all, the audience will make you think about your lesson plan from a new perspective. Additionally, an open and honest conversation with them after the lesson can provide you with great insights.  Be willing to hear their thoughts and suggestions.
2. Take organized notes about units for next year. [My goal is to take notes at the end of every unit.] I’ve tried different ways of taking notes on things that went well or didn’t go well during my units. At the beginning of my career, I used post-it notes in my curriculum binder of reminders of things to change or not use. Now, with everything stored in my Google Drive, I need a new system that I will use. Two easy options come to mind: 1 – For an ongoing note-taking system, create a Google Doc. (Clearly labeled so you remember to look at it next year!) For every unit, type notes in directly whenever you think of something, or 2 – For a one-and-done note-taking system, create a Google Form with generic questions that you fill out at the end of every unit. Answers will be collected in a Google Sheet that you can look at, with the bonus that you can easily see trends between units. See my sample form here. 
3. Write about it. [My goal is to blog at least once a month.] Whether you choose to blog or journal, I think writing about general struggles and successes is an effective way to process what is happening in your classroom. Blogging has the added bonus of an authentic audience – but do what you are comfortable with.
4. Ask students for feedback. [My goal is to give students a brief survey at the end of every unit.] We know we need to give students feedback faster and more often. The same goes for us. I am going to create a generic Google Form that I will give students at the end of every unit. Am I meeting their needs? Do they perceive that they are making progress? How is our relationship? Hopefully I will find concrete ways to help students before it’s too late. See sample form here. 
5. Meditate. [My goal is to meditate 3x/week.] Meditation is a great way to recognize thought patterns and tension that you may not realize you have. Once you identify them, it becomes easier to let it go or act instead of react. Meditation has personally helped me respond better to students (with more patience, empathy, and calm); identify triggers that cause stress and anxiety; and accept and develop flexibility for the inevitable changes that occur in the classroom. I like the Headspace App. (I’m even going to use their new guided meditation sessions with my students! *This is not an affiliate link – just sharing what I use.)

Sample Unit Reflection Form. 

Sample Student Feedback Form

School starts for me in less than two weeks. The restless nights have arrived and the race is on. Good luck, teacher friends. I hope to hear some of your reflections in the coming months.