REFLECTIVE TEACHING Reflective teaching is anchored on the ability of the teacher to guide students to reflect on their own experiences

in order to arrive at new understandings and meanings. Reflective teaching is looking back at what one has learned, gaining useful insight from the analysis and applying this new knowledge to daily work. According to Dewey, reflective teaching is behaviour which involves active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or practice. It involves a thoughtful analysis of a teachers actions, decisions and results of teaching. INSTRUCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS Schulman (1990) cites three key characteristics of reflective teaching: 1. An ethic of caring 2. A constructivist approach 3. Tactful problem solving Ethic of caring means to be ethically bound to understand ones students. To practice the ethics of caring a teacher is guided by three effective ways: 1.) confirmation, 2.) dialogue, and 3.) cooperative practice. To confirm a student, a caring teacher takes time to help students discover their individual inclinations among them. To dialogue means to talk honestly and openly about ones innermost concerns. The goal is to understand in the long run, to care. This highlights the role played by values, beliefs and attitudes. Cooperative practice facilitates learning through counselling and guiding rather than just imparting knowledge. GUIDELINES FOR ITS EFFECTIVE USE 1. Allocate sufficient time for reflection. It must be considered in planning the learning activity. 2. Schedule a short briefing activity so as to recapture the experience and think about it. 3. The teacher serves as the facilitator and guide in developing the skill in analyzing a past learning experience 4. Encourage the students to recount the experience to others, thereby strengthening the insights gained. 5. Attend to feelings especially the positive and pleasant ones. 6. Evaluate the experience in the light of the learners intent.

STRATEGIES 1. SELF-ANALSIS A reflective teacher is able to keep a record of her success or failure in employing a strategy, problems and issues confronted, and significance of learning events that occurred. Writing them can help in analyzing and clarifying important aspects that are contributory to future decisions towards effective teaching. 2. WRITING JOURNALS A journal entry includes: a.) a description of the teaching/learning event, b.) outcomes of the event, and c.) value or worthiness of the outcomes, and d.) causes of success or failures. A journal reveals feelings about the days activities including what could have enhanced or inhibited their learning. 3. KEEPING A PORTFOLIO A portfolio is a very personal document which includes frank, honest and on-the-spot account of experiences. It includes the teachers first hand observations and personal knowledge that will be needed in analyzing changes in values being developed. Instant thoughts and reactions can be recorded in a log book for future recall and study. 4. OBSERVATION OF STUDENTS RESPONSES Some questions that must be answered are as follows: a. b. c. d. Did I motivate them enough to continue on? Are the students learning from the activity? If so, why? If not, why? Am I relating the lesson to their knowledge and interests? How can I do better? How good was my classroom management skill?

5. QUESTIONS AT THE END OF EVERY LESSON: a. Did anything significant occur? If so, describe. Why did it happen? b. Was the strategy I used the most effective one? What other strategies might have been effective? c. Did I exhibit flexibility in modifying my lesson according to their responses? d. What have I learned about my own teaching? Have I become a better teacher?

Learning that resulted from reflective teaching is best described as one borne of experiences that have been deeply thought of, analyzed and evaluated. Reflection is inseparable from experience. Experience is not yet best learning, reflection is.