REFLECTIVE TEACHING AS INNOVATIVE APPROACH

Dewey believed that teachers should take time to reflect on their observations, knowledge, and experience so that

they can effectively nurture each child's learning.

Reflective Teaching• Reflective teaching is a process where teachers think over their teaching practices, analyzing how something was taught and how thepractice might be improved or changed for better learning outcomes.It is a systematic reflection on teachers’ practices within the classroom.

Reflective teaching is a personal tool that teachers can use to observe and evaluate the way they behave in their classroom.

Helps teachers in their professional development

self-awareness is a powerful ally for a teacher, especially when so much of what and how they teach.

Purpose of Reflective Teaching

Approaches to Reflective teaching Peer observationPeer observation can provide opportunities for teachers to view each other’s teaching in order to expose them to different teaching styles and to provide opportunities for critical reflection on their own teaching.

Each participant would both observe and be observed Pre-observation orientation session The observation Post-observation

Written Accounts of Experiences

Another useful way of engaging in the reflective process is through the use of written accounts of experiences.

Their potential is increasingly being recognized in Teacher Education.

Self Reporting Self Reporting involves completing an inventory or check list in

which the teacher indicates which teaching practices were used within a lesson or within a specified time period and how often they were employed.

Self Reporting allows teachers to make a regular assessment of what they are doing in the classroom. They can check to see to what extent their assumptions about their own teaching are reflected in their actual teaching practices.

Journal WritingA procedure which is becoming more widely acknowledged as a valuable tool for developing critical reflection is the journal or diary.

o To provide a record of the significant learning experiences that has taken place

o To help the teacher come into touch and keep in touch with the self-development process that is taking place for them

o To provide the teacher with an opportunity to express, in a personal and dynamic way, their self-development

o To foster a creative interaction

Recording Lessons Audio or video recording of lessons can also provide a basis for reflection.

While there are many useful insights to be gained from diaries and self-reports, they cannot capture the moment to moment processes of teaching.

Many things happen simultaneously in a classroom, and some aspects of a lesson cannot be recalled.

Many significant classroom events may not have been observed by the teacher, let alone remembered.

Reflective teaching in an age of standards Becoming a reflective teacher can help to keep track of what we are doing and

what each child is learning and, in turn, help children meet the early learning standards.

Reflective teaching will help to slow down and take time to notice and enjoy the amazing things children do each day and the important ways we contribute to their learning.

Reflection can be seen as a responsibility, but it can also be viewed as a right of early childhood teachers.

Quality programs will invest in teachers’ abilities to be reflective, thoughtful decision makers.

As rising early learning standards bring changes, teachers deserve to be seen as active collaborators, not compliant observers in the change process.

Advantages of Reflective Teaching Reflective teaching develops the quality of teaching through continuous

improvements. It gives educators new opportunities to reflect on and assess their

teaching. It enables teachers to explore and test new ideas, methods, approaches,

and materials. It provides opportunity to assess how effective the new approaches were. Teachers share feedback with fellow team members. They make decisions about which new approaches to include in the

school’s curriculum, instruction, and assessment plans

ConclusionA reflective approach to teaching involves changes in the way we usually

perceive teaching and our role in the process of teaching.

Teachers who explore their own teaching through critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide their students.

Reflective teaching suggests that experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience coupled with reflection can be a

powerful impetus for teacher development.

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