Name of Student: Gary Weir

Article/Reading: Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (Chapter. 1)

Author: Stephen Brookfield

1. CONCISE SUMMARY OF READING

Stephen Brookfield (1995, p. 1) begins chapter one of his book, Becoming a Critically
Reflective Teacher, by highlighting the importance and necessity of critical reflection in the
teaching profession. He says that if, as educators, we are not looking back on our own
performance and analysing it critically then we are teaching innocently. He describes one
such example of teaching innocently to be the failure to acknowledge the fact that students
may not actually be learning what we intend for them to learn. Analysing what we assume
to be true and what actually is true, is the backbone of Brookfields belief in the importance
of critical reflection.
Brookfield (1995, p. 2) defines assumptions as the taken-for-granted beliefs about
the world and our place within it that seem so obvious to us as not to need stating
explicitly. He says that by hunting these assumptions we are critically analysing our
performance as a teacher. Brookfield breaks assumptions down into three categories:
Paradigmatic assumptions are the biggest assumptions we make and are very difficult to
uncover. We may not even recognise them as assumptions because we insist they are
objectively valid renderings of reality (Brookfield, 1995, p. 2).
Perspective assumptions are the way in which we think certain situations should pan out.
Examples of prescriptive assumptions are our assumption of how we think teachers should
behave and what good educational processes should look like.
Casual assumptions help us to understand how various parts of the world works. They are
usually given as predictive statements. Brookfield (1995, p. 3) offers an example of a casual
assumption by saying that teachers make mistakes in front of their students in order to
create a trusting environment and thus create a positive learning environment. These
assumptions are the easiest to uncover and dissect.
 The chapter continues as Brookfield (1995, p. 7) attempts to explain what exactly
makes reflection critical. Although he does state that reflection is important, he explains
that it only becomes critical when it has two distinct purposes. The first purpose is that it
takes power into consideration as a means of distorting educational practises. How does
this affect teaching and how can we change this? The second is questioning teaching
practises that help us now but are a disadvantage in the long run. These two aspects of
reflection in teaching is what Brookfield claims to make reflection critical.
Brookfield (1995, pp. 9-14) continues to build on this idea of a power struggle in the
classroom. He offers several examples of scenarios where the power of the teacher over
the students can influence learning.
The last section of the chapter discusses why critical reflection is important.
Brookfield (1995, pp. 22-26) lays out six reasons why he believes critical reflection to be
important in the teaching profession. He says that critical reflection:
Helps us take informed actions
Helps us develop rationale for practice
Helps us avoid self-laceration
Grounds us emotionally
Enlivens our classrooms
Increases democratic trust

2. CRITICAL REFLECTION

During my first reading of this piece I honestly found it quite difficult to

comprehend. There were sections that I found confusing and unclear. However, after
reading it again and dissecting the information presented, I now feel that it is a very
relatable piece of writing and the content is quite applicable to my teaching.
The first section of the chapter where Brookfield (1995, p. 1) describes teaching
innocently, was a particular eye-opener for me. He explains that if we fail to look at and
analyse our own performance as teachers than we are essentially failing in our attempts to
teach the students in front of us to the best of our abilities. His idea of teaching innocently
is based on assumptions we make as teachers without fully questioning those assumptions.
I believe that critical reflection is an excellent way of questioning those assumptions in
order to find answers to problems or difficulties that we encounter while we teach. It seems
to me that by constantly questioning why things are the way that they are, we can find the
root cause of a problem. It is very similar to the way in which a 2 or 3-year-old will always
ask how and why questions. In Jeanna Bryners article, Brandy Frazier of the University of
Michigan says that even from really early on when they start asking these how and why
questions, they are asking them in order to get explanations" (Bryner, 2009). This shows
that it is naturally within us to want to gain explanations. Once we find the root cause of
the difficulties we face, we can make alterations to our teaching practices, which then
creates a better environment for teaching and learning to flourish.
Another point that I found quite enlightening is Brookfields differentiation between
reflection and critical reflection, something which has always puzzled me. He states that
reflection is not, by definition, critical and that although it is not critical that does not
make it unimportant (Brookfield, 1995, p. 8). Even though he speaks highly of critical
reflection, he does understand the need for a simple general reflection of a lesson rather
than thinking about it in a critical fashion. However, he does believe that for an educator
to profit from a good or bad experience, they much reflect on it critically and question why
something worked or did not work. Ruth Heyler believes that the ability to reflect critically
is a skill that can be improved. She states in her journal article that people can hone their
reflective skills in order to critically appraise what has been experienced (Heyler, 2015, p.
16). I feel that as I progress in my teaching career, through experience, I will be able to
improve my ability to reflect critically and alter my lessons to the appropriate needs of the
class in front of me. David E. Gray (2007) builds upon this idea that critical reflection is a
skill that can be learned. He believes that learning from and speaking with others can offer
a different dimension to the reflection process. Another point of view is sometimes all that
is required in order to understand why something isnt quite working.
The third and possibly most important point that I took from this extract is
Brookfields ideas on how power can hold an influence over classroom dynamics. He
explains that it is foolish to think that forces outside the classroom, whether they are
political, social or cultural, do not weave themselves into the classroom. He believes that
no matter what views are held there will always be conflicting opinions about those views,
whether the students are the ones who hold those views or not. He says that once this fact
is accepted, it is easy to see how a classroom becomes a facility for a teacher to
unknowingly impose his/her views upon the student. I agree with Brookfield when he says
that for a classroom to be truly democratic, the teacher needs the opinions of the students
fed back to them. They are, after all, the ones who are trying to learn the information, so
surely obtaining an insight into their learning process will only benefit the teacher in gaining
an understanding about their learning. Peter Seldin (1997, p. 336) says that just as
students need feedback and guidance to correct errors, faculty members require feedback
and helpful direction if they are to improve their performance. I believe that there are few
people better equipped to give advice to a teacher, about the way in which they deliver
content, then the students that are sitting in front of that teacher. Questioning students
individual learning styles within a class and adjusting your lesson to suit, I feel, is the mark
of an excellent teacher. This idea of student input can then help to dampen the illusion of
power that teachers seem to hold over students.

3. LIST OF REFERENCES

Brookfield, S., 1995. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey Bass
Inc. Publishers.
Bryner, J., 2009. Live Science. [Online]
Available at: https://www.livescience.com/5892-kids.html
[Accessed 12 November 2017].
Gray, D. E., 2007. Facilitating management learning: developing critical reflection through
reflective tools. Management Learning, 38(5), pp. 495-517.
Heyler, R., 2015. Learning through reflection: the critical role of reflection in work-based
learning. Journal of Work Applied Management, 7(1), pp. 15-27.
Seldin, P., 1997. Using Student Feedback to Improve Teaching. To Improve the Academy,
16(n/a), pp. 335-345.