Looking Ahead
I can say without hesitation that I am moving toward being a more reflective teacher. So now what? As I prepare to leave Penn and return to the Dominican Republic to continue teaching, what will I take with me?
I plan to continue the practices of journaling and taking field notes as I teach in the DR. Those two ways of processing what goes on in the classroom and in my head have become invaluable tools for me as I strive to become a better teacher. I found reviewing the day, like I did during my full takeover, to be a helpful practice, as well. As much as possible, I would like to continue to do that so that my lesson planning is always informed by what happened previously in my classroom.
I foresee the biggest challenge for me being the lack of a supportive teaching community. Dominican education methods are vastly different from those I have been studying and practicing this year, so I will have to rely on communication with my classmates, my mentors, and other teachers in the United States to help me reflect on my teaching. I think I will also have to rely more on research, books, and other professional development materials that often can be more accessible than other teachers.
Most importantly, I am aware of the importance of reflecting on my teaching. Before, when I taught in the DR, teaching was about surviving the day. Rarely did I step back and remove myself from the moment even long enough to jot down a few notes, let alone to think critically about what was going on in my classroom. Now, however, I feel that I have the experience and the tools to step back and think metacognitively while I am teaching. I also feel much better equipped to analyze my teaching – I now have a theoretical and pedagogical foundation from which to make and justify teaching decisions. This foundation will prove essential as I move from being mentored to teaching on my own and then being a mentor to other teachers in the Dominican Republic. Through regular reflection, I hope to continually refine and improve my teaching philosophies and practices.
As I move forward in my teaching career, I will continue to try new methods for reflection and metacognition. A question that still lingers for me and challenges me is which methods of reflection or formats of note-taking are most helpful for improving instruction. I've thought a lot about how reflection helps me refine my ideas about teaching, and even lesson planning, but I have not dedicated much time yet to exploring which modes of reflection push me to improve my day-to-day pedagogical techniques.
I plan to continue the practices of journaling and taking field notes as I teach in the DR. Those two ways of processing what goes on in the classroom and in my head have become invaluable tools for me as I strive to become a better teacher. I found reviewing the day, like I did during my full takeover, to be a helpful practice, as well. As much as possible, I would like to continue to do that so that my lesson planning is always informed by what happened previously in my classroom.
I foresee the biggest challenge for me being the lack of a supportive teaching community. Dominican education methods are vastly different from those I have been studying and practicing this year, so I will have to rely on communication with my classmates, my mentors, and other teachers in the United States to help me reflect on my teaching. I think I will also have to rely more on research, books, and other professional development materials that often can be more accessible than other teachers.
Most importantly, I am aware of the importance of reflecting on my teaching. Before, when I taught in the DR, teaching was about surviving the day. Rarely did I step back and remove myself from the moment even long enough to jot down a few notes, let alone to think critically about what was going on in my classroom. Now, however, I feel that I have the experience and the tools to step back and think metacognitively while I am teaching. I also feel much better equipped to analyze my teaching – I now have a theoretical and pedagogical foundation from which to make and justify teaching decisions. This foundation will prove essential as I move from being mentored to teaching on my own and then being a mentor to other teachers in the Dominican Republic. Through regular reflection, I hope to continually refine and improve my teaching philosophies and practices.
As I move forward in my teaching career, I will continue to try new methods for reflection and metacognition. A question that still lingers for me and challenges me is which methods of reflection or formats of note-taking are most helpful for improving instruction. I've thought a lot about how reflection helps me refine my ideas about teaching, and even lesson planning, but I have not dedicated much time yet to exploring which modes of reflection push me to improve my day-to-day pedagogical techniques.