Reflections on My Reflections: Unearthing Assumptions that Hinder Critical Reflection

It took me a year and a half to cross the street. I was attending Wofford College, a
small liberal arts oasis tucked away in Spartanburg, SC. Wofford had everything I
needed: close friends, three dining halls, entertainment, challenging courses, and
comfortable living spaces. Directly across the street, visible through the dining hall
window, was a local soup kitchen. About three miles down the road was a small school,
nested within a government housing community. The majority of the students attending
the school were Hispanic, many of which were on free or reduced lunch, and stayed at
school until 5:00 each night. I spent many days at Wofford studying late into the night,
oblivious to the world around me. But these late nights were not what truly helped me
learn and uncover my passion for teaching. The most challenging and impactful
assignment required me to put down my textbooks and walk across the street.
Despite my narrow-vision, the Spanish department at Wofford had embraced the
local Hispanic population. Students in the Advanced Spanish with Community-Based
Learning course were required to complete service hours at the nearby elementary school,
tutoring English as a Second Language and mentoring young children. Since I was
studying both Spanish and education, I embraced the opportunity with confidence and
excitement. However, after my first visit to the school, I quickly realized that the
definitions on my notecards didnt match my experiences in the classroom. I could recite
theories without thought, and explain behavioral issues in the classroom with
sophisticated, educator jargon. However, when I actually experienced what I was
studying, my learning extended from the notecards and penetrated every part of my life. I

completed weekly reflection papers, in which I summarized my life-changing

experiences and concluded that I was thankful for the opportunity to be the only positive
influence in these students lives, and the chance to make a lasting impact in
education. However, while I reported positive learning outcomes in my reflection
papers, when I turned away from my computer to take a break and run outside, several
unsettling questions plagued my mind: Was I really making a difference in the local
school? Did my students enjoy spending time with me? Did I really understand what my
students needed to succeed?
My continued participation in University-School Partnerships has helped me
answer such questions, challenging me to apply what I learn in the classroom to realworld situations.. Partnerships are often established to meet the needs of the university
(through providing student-teacher placements, research participants, etc.); however, in
recent years the balance has shifted and many partnerships are characterized by positive
relationships that benefit and challenge both universities and schools (Brabeck & Walsh,
2003).
Since my experience with Wofford Colleges partnership with the Hispanic
community had such a profound impact on my education, as a doctoral student at the
University of Georgia, I was eager to become involved with University-School
partnerships and encourage undergraduate students to take an active role in the
community. I work with first year students in Dr. Tarek Granthams University and
Community Engagement in Talent and Development course, a Freshmen Year Odyssey

(FYO) course which was developed through the Project U-SPARC1 initiative. Each week,
students serve as enrichment assistants in a local Title 1 elementary school, which
encourages them to develop relationships with diverse students and observe classroom
challenges first-hand . UGA Students post weekly reflections to an online discussion
board, describing their experiences and future goals. Originally, I was overwhelmed by
the positive reactions the UGA students reported through posts such as I am able to
serve as a pillar of hope to these students, and Although most students come from
negative home environments, I am able to be a positive influence in their lives.
However, after about a month of happily reading student reflections (which
reminded me of my own reflections from my undergraduate experience), I began to
question whether these posts demonstrated true, critical reflection, or simply rephrased
the students assumptions. William James (as cited in Brubacher, Case, and Reagan,
1994), proclaimed: Too many people think they are thinking when all they are doing is
rearranging their prejudices. Critical reflection unearths assumptions that
taint the formation of clear understandings of our experiences. As
assumptions are realized, they can be transformed to guide future
action and encourage deep learning. Wary of making assumptions concerning
student beliefs, I challenged myself to reflect on my own community-service experiences.
Through reading old blog posts, personal journal entries, and school papers, I was
1

The University of Georgias University-School Partnership for Achievement, Rigor, and Creativity (Project USPARC), was established in Fall 2014 to nurture positive University-School relationships. UGA students and faculty
work alongside teachers and administrators from Stroud Elementary School, a Title 1 Distinguished School with a
highly diverse student population, to develop mutually beneficial action plans. There have been profound outcomes
from this partnership since its establishment, including the University and Community Engagement in Talent and
Development course, an elementary Community Problem Solving team, and an after school math acceleration program
(Math Hall and Ball) for gifted, male elementary students.

convicted by how many of my reflections were simply restatements of my assumptions

and misunderstandings. Case and colleagues (2012) described various types
of assumptions that can be transformed through critical reflection.
Table 1 summarizes these assumptions, and includes personal
examples that illustrate the ability of critical reflection to unearth
assumptions and encourage growth.

Insert Table 1

John Deweys work in reflective practice marked the onset of reflective teacher
education, which aims to encourage teachers to analyze their reasons behind employing
particular instructional strategies and improve their teaching in order to positively impact
students (Lee, 2005). Rogers (2002) summarized Deweys criteria for reflection, which
laid the foundation for research in the reflective process, as follows: Reflection
1. Is a meaning-making process that moves a learner from one experience into the
next with deeper understanding of its relationships with and connections to other
experiences and ideas.
2. Is a systematic, rigorous, disciplined way of thinking, with its roots in scientific
inquiry.
3. Needs to happen in community, in interaction with others.
4. Requires attitudes that value the personal and intellectual growth of one-self
and of others (pg. 845)
Critical reflection is a common buzzword in education, but it is imperative to
realize that the reflective process takes both time and effort. As Miziro (1991)

commented: The transformative process always involves critical reflection upon the
distorted premises sustaining our structure of expectations (pg.167). It is essential that
educators encourage students to progress beyond discussion boards and reaction papers,
intertwining reflective thinking into their daily lives. Student comments such as this
experience changed my life, or words cant explain all that I have learned are
encouraging at first glance, but in reality often demonstrate a lack of deep, critical
reflection. It is natural to strive for a sense of clarity and conclusion when describing
ones experiences, but critical reflection requires an open-mind that resists premature
closure and considers multiple viewpoints. Problematizing is key to critical reflection;
students must realize that sometimes learning is demonstrated not through reaching
sophisticated conclusions, but rather through realizing that ones current understandings
are potentially incomplete and incorrect.
After I completed the service-learning requirements for the Spanish Community
Based Learning course at Wofford, I couldnt get the elementary students off my mind.
As I reflected on my experiences, I realized that the relationships my friends and I had
established with the Hispanic students shouldnt stop after one semester. Eager to solve
this problem, I established a pen-pal program, which allowed Wofford volunteers and
local elementary students to exchange letters every-other week. At the end of the term,
the elementary students visited Wofford to eat lunch with their pen-pals and tour the
campus. I am forever grateful for my professors that challenged me to improve the issues
I uncovered throughout my experience working at the elementary school. They helped me
see the importance of taking an active role in the community, rather than simply writing a

surface-level conclusion in my final reflection paper. Although I graduated from Wofford

three years ago, the pen-pal program continues each year
I am continually shocked by the juxtaposition between theory and practice. Each
night, I spend countless hours researching complex theories and reading empirical
articles, only to enter the classroom the next day and realize that real life doesnt
always follow the books. As I continue my work with freshmen students through the
Freshmen Year Odyssey Course, I am challenged to reflect on my own growth as both a
student and a teacher. It is tempting to simply state that working with University-School
Partnerships has changed my life, but now I realize that these experiences have
challenged me to resist such sweeping conclusions and dig deeper, uncovering and
confronting the assumptions that pollute true understanding. It is my hope to encourage
this same lack of understanding in my students, opening their minds to confront their own
assumptions and recognize opportunities for growth.

Resources
Brubacher, J.W., Case, C.W., & Reagan, T.G. (1994). Becoming a Reflective Educator.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.
Brabeck, M. M., & Walsh, M. E. (2003). Meeting at the hyphen: Schools, universitiescommunities-professions in collaboration for student achievement and well-being.
102nd Yearbook, Part 2. Chicago: National Society for the Study of `Education.
Case, J., Backes, E., Babu, S., White, A., & Jennings, E. (2012). APedagogicalstrategy
tofacilitateinterdisciplinaryreflectivethinkingandpracticeinrehabilitation
counselingstudents.RehabilitationResearch,Policy,andEducation,21(23),

271282.
Lee, H. J. (2005). Understanding and assessing preservice teachers' reflective thinking.
Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(6), 699-715.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective
teaching. Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866.

Table 1
Types of Assumptions and Illustrations of Corresponding Reflections (Case, Backes, Babu, White, & Jennings, 2012)
Type of Assumption
Example
Reflection that Maintains the Assumption

Narrative:
assumptions
regarding the self
Systemic:
assumptions
regarding the
Cultural and social
systems in which one
lives and learns

In order to be successful, I must

make everyone else happy. (Taken
from a personal journal entry)
Covering academic content is more
important that embracing tradition
and encouraging students to
understand and take pride in their
culture. (Taken from journal entries
written while teaching abroad in
Ecuador)

I have a lot of decisions to make about my

future research goals, so Ill ask as many people
for advice as possible. If I follow everyones
advice, I ensure that they will support me if
things dont work out.
I was shocked when the teacher left early and I
was in charge of all thirty students in the oneroom school. However, even though the
teacher was preparing for the cultural
celebration that weekend, I was thankful I was
there to keep teaching the students and ensure
they learned the material for the upcoming test.
I know that Im stressed trying to balance my
classwork and teaching, but this is what life
will look like when I get a real job. Im
going to improve my time management skills
so I can better prepare for my future.

Moral-Ethical:
assumptions
regarding ethical
decision making

Graduate students are expected to

balance research and teaching
practice; this helps prepare them for
jobs in academia. (Taken from
journal entries discussing my
doctoral studies at the University of
Georgia)
Students living in poverty need
more things in order to feel
appreciated and encouraged. (Taken
from journal entries written while
serving on a mission trip in Haiti)

Therapeutic:

One of my kindergarten students is

always angry and misbehaving. He

I have a wonderful opportunity to make a

positive impact in this boys life. I can support

Organizational:
assumptions
regarding the
workplace

I was so upset our supervisor wouldnt let us

give the students a prize for their positive
behavior. So many of these students live in
poverty, and I wanted to give them a tangible
reward.

Critical Reflection which Questions the

Assumption
I cant possibly make everyone happy. If I try to
do so, I lose myself along the way. Maybe the best
way to help others is to help myself first.
As an American, it's easy to come into a place like
this full of passion and eager to help. But what
will indigenous children do with geometry? And
who am I to tell these children what to learn? It's
all about preserving culture there...learning
traditional dances is much more important than
measuring angles. It's a very eye-opening
experience.
There is a definite imbalance between my research
and teaching. However, I have a greater passion
for teaching, and I want to pursue this further.
Maybe I dont have to take the traditional route
for my future. This imbalance could actually work
in my advantage, because it illustrates my
dedication to the students.
Maybe I dont actually know what these children
need to feel appreciated. I may think that giving
them prizes makes them feel loved, but really they
just want me to hug them and spend time with
them. Helping those in need doesnt mean solving
their problems in the way I would want them to
be solved. In fact, many of these students dont see
their lack of material possessions as a problem at
all.
The little boys anger may seem like a cry for
attention, but how do I know this for sure? Maybe

assumptions
regarding feelings
and dispositions

must feel unloved at home, because

he is obviously trying to get
attention. (Taken from journal
entries written while working with
kindergarten students through the
the FYO course)

him and love him unconditionally, helping him

realize that he doesnt need to act rashly to earn
my attention.

it isnt unconditional love that he needs. I cant

assume that I know why he misbehaves. I should
talk to him and get a better sense of the factors
underlying his anger. Just because I become angry
and confused when I feel unloved doesnt mean
that everyone else reacts in the same manner.