REFLECTIVE TEACHING

A report submitted by Khadija Kairit and
Benhaddouche Mohamed

Introduction

Kathy Schneider started the workshop by asking: Do we teach the same lesson in the same way twice? The answer of the Moroccan teacher trainers was of course no. There is no teacher who has ever taught the same lesson twice because:

1. There are different settings including time and space that may modify the teacher lesson plan.
2. Students have different cognitive abilities as well as learning strategies.
3. There are varied unanticipated elements that may interfere with the process of learning and affect it.
4. The timing of the class together with learners’ modes and attitudes should also be considered.
5. The teacher should change his/her methods and activities so as to avoid boredom and make the learning process enjoyable both for him/her and for the students.
6. In order to motivate students, a teacher should innovate his/her activities and teaching techniques through experimenting with new materials.

All the above–mentioned factors contribute in improving teachers' professional development.

I- REFLECTIVE TEACHING

One of the best means likely to ensure teacher professional growth is reflection upon one’s practices. Reflective teaching is an on going process that is carried out through the following stages:

1. The instructional event
2. Recollection of the event
3. Review and response to the event.

II- REFLECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES

The ultimate goal of the whole process of reflective teaching is to improve our teaching styles.This can be achieved through a variety of activities such as: demonstration lessons, peer observation, journal writing, reading groups, case studies and so on and so forth. In addition to these, action research is highly recommended as the most effective tool to be adopted in the process of reflective teaching. This is mainly due to its cyclical nature that allows a teacher to deal with different learning situations in an objective way.

While carrying out an action research, the teacher plans activities, puts his plan into action, observes what is going on, and then reflects upon it. These reflections might take the form of appropriate suggestions or remedies to cater for those deficiencies.

Another way of evaluating events that occur during the learning process might be through experience, description, analysis or taking intelligent actions.