Reflective Teaching and Learning
Reflective teaching and learning is one of the in-service practices for teachers under the scope of Continuous Professional Development. It is a context specific implementation in which teachers focus on their own teaching skills or classrooms. In our institution, all the teachers are required to conduct this activity both with their peers and with their mentors. The practice has three phases; finding a focus, first viewing, and then second viewing.
🔍 First Phase: Finding a focus
- Recording one of the lessons,
- Unmotivated examination of that lesson,
- Find an area to study,
- Informing the mentor about that area and the reasons why s/he focuses on it
- Reviewing the literature about that focus
🎬 Second phase: First viewing
- Preparing a lesson plan focusing on the selected area,
- Recording the lesson,
- Watching it alone
- Self-reflection
- Watching it with a colleague
- Peer-reflection
📺 Third Phase: Second viewing
- Preparing another lesson plan focusing on the same area,
- Recording the lesson,
- Watching it alone
- Self-reflection
- Watching it with a mentor
- Mentor-reflection
After completing these phases, reflecting on the process, teachers decide whether they will stick to the same focus or they will change it. Then they are ready to start a new cycle.