Introduction
REFLECTIVE TEACHING
Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works – a process of self-observation and self-evaluation. By collecting information about what goes on in our classroom, and by analyzing and evaluating this information, we identify and explore our own practices and underlying beliefs. This may then lead to changes and improvements in our teaching.
Reflective teaching is therefore a means of professional development which begins in our classroom.
Why it is important
Beginning the process of reflection
Teacher diary
Peer observation
Recording lessons
Student feedback
What to do next
Think
Talk
Read
Ask
Conclusion
Why it is importantMany teachers already think about their teaching and talk to colleagues about it too. You might think or tell someone that "My lesson went well" or "My students didn't seem to understand" or "My students were so badly behaved today."
However, without more time spent focussing on or discussing what has happened, we may tend to jump to conclusions about why things are happening. We may only notice reactions of the louder students. Reflective teaching therefore implies a more systematic process of collecting, recording and analysing our thoughts and observations, as well as those of our students, and then going onto making changes.
If a lesson went well we can describe it and think about why it was successful.
If the students didn't understand a language point we introduced we need to think about what we did and why it may have been unclear.
If students are misbehaving – what were they doing, when and why?
DEVELOPMENT
Beginning the process of reflection
You may begin a process of reflection in response to a particular problem that has arisen with one or your classes, or simply as a way of finding out more about your teaching. You may decide to focus on a particular class of students, or to look at a feature of your teaching – for example how you deal with incidents of misbehaviour or how you can encourage your students to speak more English in class.
The first step is to gather information about what happens in the class. Here are some different ways of doing this.
Teacher diary
This is the easiest way to begin a process of reflection since it is purely personal. After each lesson you write in a notebook about what happened. You may also describe your own reactions and feelings and those you observed on the part of the students. You are likely to begin to pose questions about what you have observed. Diary writing does require a certain discipline in taking the time to do it on a regular way.
Peer observation Invite a colleague to come into your class to collect information about your lesson. This may be with a simple observation task or through note taking. This will relate back to the area you have identified to reflect upon. For example, you might ask your colleague to focus on which students contribute most in the lesson, what different patterns of interaction occur or how you deal with errors.
Recording lessons
Video or audio recordings of lessons can provide very useful information for reflection. You may do things in class you are not aware of or there may be things happening in the class that as the teacher you do not normally see.
Audio recordings can be useful for considering aspects of teacher talk.
How much do you talk?
What about?
Are instructions and explanations clear?
How much time do you allocate to student talk?
How do you respond to student talk?
Video recordings can be useful in showing you aspects of your own behaviour.
Where do you stand?
Who do you speak to?
How do you come across to the students?
Student feedback
You can also ask your students what they think about what goes on in the classroom. Their opinions and perceptions can add a different and valuable perspective. This can be done with simple questionnaires or learning diaries for example.
What to do next
Once you have some information recorded about what goes on in your classroom, what do you do?
ThinkYou may have noticed patterns occurring in your teaching through your observation. You may also have noticed things that you were previously unaware of. You may have been surprised by some of your students' feedback. You may already have ideas for changes to implement.
TalkJust by talking about what you have discovered – to a supportive colleague or even a friend – you may be able to come up with some ideas for how to do things differently.
If you have colleagues who also wish to develop their teaching using reflection as a tool, you can meet to discuss issues. Discussion can be based around scenarios from your own classes.
Using a list of statements about teaching beliefs (for example, pairwork is a valuable activity in the language class or lexis is more important than grammar) you can discuss which ones you agree or disagree with, and which ones are reflected in your own teaching giving evidence from your self-observation.
ReadYou may decide that you need to find out more about a certain area. There are plenty of websites for teachers of English now where you can find useful teaching ideas, or more academic articles. There are also magazines for teachers where you can find articles on a wide range of topics. Or if you have access to a library or bookshop, there are plenty of books for English language teachers.
AskPose questions to websites or magazines to get ideas from other teachers. Or if you have a local teachers' association or other opportunities for in-service training, ask for a session on an area that interests you.
some activities to develop reflective teaching in the students.
Speaking (Hablar): Para desarrollar esta habilidad, las actividades propuestas son las siguientes:
Match column A with B. Act them out in a conversation:
2. .Work in pairs: You are a nurse. You meet the newone at the nurses´ station. You ask him about the the new patient"s name, his age, where he lives, where he works , the language he speaks, his health problems and if he is married or single.
3. Stand up and find in the classroom someone who:
the actions are: drink coffee in the morning
eat vegetables and fruit
study English and anatomy in the afternoon
read a book
speak another language
like smoking
practise sports
4- Make a dialogue using the information given: You are a nurse who works at Iván Portuondo Hospital in San Antonio de los Baños. Select in your group another nurse and ask her about her duties, when she works the evening shift, if she delivers medications on time, if she gives the patients psychological support, gives shots, help them to bath and what she thinks about drinking alcohol for health.
Los profesores de inglés deben tomar en cuenta el enfoque comunicativo y la propuesta de actividades comunicativas que se sugieren en el programa, para desarrollar las habilidades en cada unidad.
Reading (Lectura): Se sugiere trabajar esta habilidad desarrollando las actividades siguientes: Pre- Reading: (antes de leer):
1- Answer this question: what do you know about? _____
2- Discuss these questions in small groups .What do you think of smoking?
3- What do you do to be healthy?
4- Look at the picture. What can be learnt from it?
Se puede utilizar la lluvia de ideas (Brain Storming) siguiendo el mismo procedimiento que se explicó anteriormente. Todas estas actividades se realizan con el propósito de motivar a los estudiantes hacia la lectura y orientar el objetivo que se persigue.
While Reading (mientras se lee): El profesor realiza una lectura modelo. Los estudiantes siguen la lectura con la vista y hacen las actividades siguientes mientras leen:
1- Fill in the gaps following the reading. (Hay espacios en blanco que el estudiante debe completar siguiendo la lectura). Deben emplear palabras claves que aparecen en el texto.
2- Identify the main idea (identificar sólo la idea central, se sugieren varias alternativas).
3- Tick the information contained in the text. (Se le ofrecen varias ideas para que el alumno solo seleccione aquellas que tengan relación con el texto de lectura).
4- Say true or false according to the reading.
After Reading :(Después de leer): Las actividades propuestas son las siguientes:
1. Answer these questions (Se responden preguntas para obtener información específica del texto) se trabaja con la habilidad de scanning (escudriñar).
2. Write a summary about the text. Select a student to talk about it.
3. Talk about the most important ideas expressed in the text.
4. Make a dialogue to interchange information studied in the text.
Writing (Escritura.): Para desarrollar esta habilidad, se concibe lo siguiente:
Se propone la redacción de oraciones, párrafos y completar ejercicios donde haya que utilizar funciones comunicativas relacionadas con las situaciones que se ofrecen. Para la concepción de todas estas actividades se tiene en cuenta el desarrollo del enfoque comunicativo que parte del diseño del programa y debe ser puesto en práctica en las clases elaboradas por los profesores.
Write sentences using the given words. Select a student to talk about it. You may begin this way:
A: what is your sentence about? B: my sentence is about a health problem. It is: —–
Make a paragraph about the activities you do in the ward where you work. Choose a student to talk about it. You may begin this way : the first activity I do is………….
Match column A with B. Dramatize the situation given.
Listening (Audición): Se sugiere trabajar esta habilidad siguiendo la metodología siguiente : Before Listening (Antes de escuchar el texto): Se parte de la técnica de la lluvia de ideas, para motivar y orientar hacia el objetivo, el profesor menciona un vocablo que tenga relación con el texto que se va a escuchar, le pide a los estudiantes que digan otras palabras que se relacionen con la palabra mencionada, se conforman ideas que permitan orientar a los estudiantes hacia el tema que van a escuchar en el texto.
While Listening (mientras se escucha el texto): Se propone desarrollar las actividades siguientes: 1. Identify the main idea. 2. Select supporting ideas. 3- Write true or false. 4- Complete spaces using words from the text. 5- Answer these questions. (Yes or No)
El profesor realiza una lectura modelo en alta voz, mientras que los estudiantes escuchan el texto en silencio siguiéndolo con la vista y hacen las actividades propuestas mientras se escucha la lectura del texto.
Conclusion
Reflective teaching is a cyclical process, because once you start to implement changes, then the reflective and evaluative cycle begins again.
What are you doing?
Why are you doing it?
When do you decide to do it ?
How effective is it?
How are the students responding?
How can you do it better?
As a result of your reflection you may decide to do something in a different way, or you may just decide that what you are doing is the best way. And that is what professional development is all about.
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Autor:
Lic. Manuel J. Mederos González
Msc. Manuel J. Mederos González
Msc. Olimpia Sidres Gacita
Enviado por:
Mariela Arencibia
Sede universitaria municipal
de Ciencias Médicas
San Antonio de los Baños.