Critical Reflection, My Practice, and a Systematic Reflection
Author: Santosh Kumar
Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan
Abstract
In the twenty-first century, the classrooms we see
are different from before and are more complex. Students come from different
backgrounds and are sometimes neglected, often abused, and not well-prepared to
learn and work productively (Larrivee, 2000). Today, we can also observe the
significant shift in social, cultural, economic, and technological
transformation with which we need to adjust based on the needs of the
21st-century world. The sole purpose of education is to prepare individuals for
immediate life through self-realization and the practical life of the learners
that are related to education (Shawal, n.d.). Moreover, students are influenced
by digital technology due to globalization and it has created more flexible
learning spaces (Benade, 2015). During such situations where student competency
plays a vital role, demand enhanced reflective practice for better outcomes by
teaching practitioners.
Critical Reflection Definition
Teachers are considered to be the greatest assets
for any kind of education process in the system. They play a significant role
in the transmission of appropriate knowledge, skills for life, and values to
live well in all aspects of life. They are considered reformers of human beings
through strengthening the strong foundation of the education system. Thus,
critical reflection does act as a medium in their life to enhance the teaching
and learning outcomes.
Critical reflection takes place when a teacher is able to think
beyond their teaching enhancement plan through the process in which they are
involved in identifying, questioning, and assessing their deeply-held
assumptions such as their knowledge, beliefs, feelings, and actions, and the
way they perceive any events and issues they confront within their context. It enables
them to compare the theories derived based on the present practices to come up
with solutions to the problems (University of Waterloo, n.d.). It is the
process that helps a teacher set their goals prior to their past experiences so
that in the future their implementation process goes smoothly. According to
John Dewey, he stated that Critical reflection is the link between how we think
and do things in transformative manners (Dewey, 1916/1944).
How do I include the Principles or Methods of Critical Reflection
in My Practice?
It is through Critical reflection that one is able to combine
one’s experiences with some of the theoretical aspects and the technical
learning process to construct a kind of knowledge and behaviors through
interpretation and creation from one’s own ordinary experiences (Shandomo,
2010). I believe that a teacher is considered to be the best teacher if he
employs himself to think about what he wants to accomplish, how to accomplish
it, and why to accomplish it during his teaching processes and this is exactly
what I do in my practice.
In critical reflection, meta-cognition, self-awareness, and
considering multiple viewpoints play a vital role that enables individuals to
reflect on their practices and experiences to improve them further because the
world has changed, and so have the students. Therefore, I include
metacognition, self-awareness, and considering multiple viewpoints for
reflective action to take place in the classroom because I believe that by
being reflective, I would be able to create reflective students. Mostly, I
engage my students in analyzing and reflecting on their learning at the end of
every unit they learn.
On the other hand, in my teaching process I work with the belief
that in any kind of teaching and learning process, a teacher needs to reflect
through researching himself and his students through conscious awareness of the
state of teaching and learning processes inside the classroom. In doing so, the
“Weather Model” questions like ‘What went well?’ ‘What didn’t go well?’ ‘What
came as a surprise or shock?’ and ‘What didn’t work well?’ are always analyzed
for future correction and implementation (Blackwell, 2019).
Moreover, I engage myself in the analysis of my assumptions so
that I can cope with the situations through the comparison of theories derived.
Secondly, I employ myself with the analysis of the degree of skeptics that I
have about the knowledge, beliefs, and values and work based on it to suit the
learning environment. Thirdly, to meet the social needs, I always study the
social needs of my students and create awareness based on the social context.
Finally, reflecting on imaginative speculation on how the things that we have
done might have happened.
Incidents in which I have used a Systematic Reflection Process
and What I learned from it.
Every month, for more experience, I provide my
students with room to reflect on their learning experiences. In doing so, I
make them write the self-reflection filling up the self-reflection forms on the
lessons learned which is based on constructivist theory whereby students
construct some kind of knowledge for themselves. Based on the self-reflections,
students can derive any doubts that they have for open discussion so that we
solve them.
Moreover, through the lesson, I make students make comparisons
based on the lesson learned to the social context to come up with the values
through text-to-real-life connections. In doing so, students are engaged in
analyzing their thoughts to come up with the real value derivations in the
social context through the construction of meanings.
On the other hand, students are engaged in reflective journal
writing whereby they are involved in understanding their learning progress in
the context of their understanding in the classroom so that they can analyze
the amount of development they made in themselves through intellectual,
emotional, physical, and moral development. They are made to reveal what new
knowledge they have learned during the course of their lesson and discuss based
on its application in their future endeavor. In a nutshell, reflective thinking
is involved during their learning. Maybe because of all those things, I can
have fruitful outcomes, even in the academic at the national level.
In doing so, I can learn more about the student’s interests,
abilities, and capabilities hidden within them irrespective of the problems
that they are facing or carrying. Moreover, I can reflect on my teaching,
identify my student’s weaknesses and strengths, and determine the areas where
they need assistance. It also enables me to act as a counselor to overcome the
challenges that they are facing and to be a focused learner. And of course, I can
overcome it through reflective teaching and learning and becoming their mental
analytical teacher.
Reference
Benade, L. (2016). Teachers’ reflective practice in the context of twenty-first-century learning. In Open Review of Educational Research 3:1, pages 133-147. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23265507.2014.998159
Blackwell, A. (2019). Critical Reflection: How to develop it in your Practice. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2019/11/19/critical-reflection-develop-practice/
Dewey, J. (1916/1944). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from https://s3.amazonaws.com/arena-attachments/190319/2a5836b93124f200790476e08ecc4232.pdf
Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(2), 293-306. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from http://ed253jcu.pbworks.com/f/Larrivee_B_2000CriticallyReflectiveTeacher.pdf
Shandomo, H. M. (2010). The Role of Critical Reflection in Teacher Education. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ915885.pdf
Shawal. M. (n.d.). 4 Main Aims of Education as Advocated by John Dewey. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/education/4-main-aims-of-education-as-advocated-by-john-dewey/69151
University
of Waterloo. (n.d.). Critical reflection.
Retrieved August 8, 2021 from
https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/critical-reflection
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