A Rationale for Reflection: Theory Meets Practice
Reflection, the process of thinking critically and metacognitively about my teaching, has proved indispensible as a method for improving my teaching. Metacognition is “the ability to monitor one’s current level of understanding and decide when it is not adequate,” or the ability to think about one’s thinking (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p. 47). Teaching metacognitively includes both predicting and reflecting – how do I think a lesson will go, and then, how did the lesson go and why? Reflective teaching requires asking deliberate questions of myself, answering them honestly, and then using the answers to change my teaching practices and become a more effective teacher.
In the book How People Learn, Bransford, Brown, & Cocking (2000) describe metacognition as one of the characteristics of “adaptive experts,” a term they use synonymously with the term virtuoso. They write that adaptive experts “not only use what they have learned, they are metacognitive and continually question their current levels of expertise and attempt to move beyond them. They don’t simply attempt to do the same things more efficiently; they attempt to do things better” (p. 48). Similarly, Danielson describes experts as possessing “an intentional competence that enables them to identify and replicate best practice, refine serendipitous practice, and avoid inferior practice. Because of their ability to reflect, great teachers know not only what to do, but also why” (2009). These descriptions align well with my goal as a teacher to continually build on my existing skills and knowledge in order to improve my pedagogy and educational philosophy. The importance of reflection in developing adaptive expertise is evident in the above descriptions, so if my aim is to become a great teacher, reflection must be a foundational aspect of my teaching practice.
In the book How People Learn, Bransford, Brown, & Cocking (2000) describe metacognition as one of the characteristics of “adaptive experts,” a term they use synonymously with the term virtuoso. They write that adaptive experts “not only use what they have learned, they are metacognitive and continually question their current levels of expertise and attempt to move beyond them. They don’t simply attempt to do the same things more efficiently; they attempt to do things better” (p. 48). Similarly, Danielson describes experts as possessing “an intentional competence that enables them to identify and replicate best practice, refine serendipitous practice, and avoid inferior practice. Because of their ability to reflect, great teachers know not only what to do, but also why” (2009). These descriptions align well with my goal as a teacher to continually build on my existing skills and knowledge in order to improve my pedagogy and educational philosophy. The importance of reflection in developing adaptive expertise is evident in the above descriptions, so if my aim is to become a great teacher, reflection must be a foundational aspect of my teaching practice.
Another effect reflection has on my instruction comes from Ken Osborne’s distinction between education and schooling. He differentiates between the two, arguing that we should strive to educate students – “to extend their intellectual horizons, to teach them to think” (2008, p. 29). Osborne argues that schooling, by contrast, is an indoctrination, a pouring of society’s acceptable ideas and norms into children’s heads.
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"Liberal education entails introducing students to the never-ending conversation about what it means to be human and to live together with other human beings on a finite planet. No liberal education worthy of the name can content itself simply with the transmission of information from teachers to students. It demands a pedagogy of dialogue and inquiry, of teaching with students rather than at them" (Osborne 2008, p. 33). |
In order to educate my students, then, I must regularly step back and consider whether I am teaching at or with my students. Each student has different needs; true education takes these needs into consideration and differentiates instruction accordingly. Intentional reflection on my lessons, planning process, pedagogical techniques, and how the students engage with material will provide evidence of whether I am educating or teaching. Through reflection, I can continually refine my pedagogy and teach in a way that provides a true education to each one of my students.
Becoming a more reflective teacher will not only improve my instruction, but also improve my ability to model behaviors and thought processes for my students. If I expect to develop reflective, metacognitive students, I must first possess and display those qualities in myself. Additionally, I cannot teach what I do not understand, and research has shown that metacognitive skills need to be explicitly taught to students. Bransford, Brown, & Cocking note that “because metacognition often takes the form of an internal conversation, it can easily be assumed that individuals will develop the internal dialogue on their own;” however, as they go on to argue, metacognitive strategies can and should be first modeled by the teacher, then taught explicitly until the students can practice them independently (2000, p. 18). The more comfortable I am with acknowledging and processing my own internal dialogue, the easier it will be for me to model that process and “think aloud” for my students.
Becoming a more reflective teacher will not only improve my instruction, but also improve my ability to model behaviors and thought processes for my students. If I expect to develop reflective, metacognitive students, I must first possess and display those qualities in myself. Additionally, I cannot teach what I do not understand, and research has shown that metacognitive skills need to be explicitly taught to students. Bransford, Brown, & Cocking note that “because metacognition often takes the form of an internal conversation, it can easily be assumed that individuals will develop the internal dialogue on their own;” however, as they go on to argue, metacognitive strategies can and should be first modeled by the teacher, then taught explicitly until the students can practice them independently (2000, p. 18). The more comfortable I am with acknowledging and processing my own internal dialogue, the easier it will be for me to model that process and “think aloud” for my students.