Reflectiveness

I think that students and teachers, everyone for that matter, find it hard to reflect because it requires a person to consider what they might be doing wrong. If they figure out that they are doing something wrong then they are obligated to change, and change is hard. It is much easier to just remain static, not learning from mistakes or growing in any way. But education would fail without this process of examining oneself and progressing.

The point of education is to learn, so it makes sense that reflecting would be at the heart of this process. I think someone who is skilled at reflecting would be a skilled teacher as well. Your students are changing all the time and everyone is different so being able to look at your performance and how your students responded is critical in order to make you a more effective teacher in the future. There are always things that can be improved upon, and being able to identify those things are essential to a teaching career.

I personally reflect the most effectively in a quiet personal spot such as my room. It helps me to just take time where I can block out the rest of the world and think. Sometimes I will journal, which i think is the most effective, but other times I will simply be. This helps me to examine myself from my own perspective. In order to get someone else's perspective, however, I need their feedback. This, I think, is the best way to get the full picture of how effective your performance as a teacher is. Both personal reflection and feedback from students, peers and superiors aid in effective reflection.