Reflections
Throughout my student teaching experience, I found consistent reflection to be crucial to my development as an educator. As I reflected in my daybook throughout each class period and also sometimes at the end of the school day, I was able to see not only the growth of my students as we continued to learn together, but also my own personal growth. Given below are just a few of my many reflections, and how those reflections have impacted my overall understanding of the classroom. Also, I have included some student reflections and letters about class and their own learning.
Daybook Reflection: January 26, 2011
This daybook reflection notes one of my first interactions with the AP Language and Composition class. They were completely talking over each other and me during the class activity, and honestly I frustrated. I wondered how I was going to be able to work with this class during student teaching. This was a crucial point for me. I had to choose to make this work, and that meant stepping up as a teacher. After reflecting in my daybook, I talked with the students about my expectations for class and how we were going to achieve those expectations. This opened up a class discussion about what we would all like do in class, and the kind of active learning and behavior that it would take to meet those goals. This incidence established my role and authority in the classroom for the students, but even more than than, it helped me to establish who I am as a teacher.
Daybook Reflection: February 24, 2011
This daybook entry reflects on one of my favorite parts of teaching. It is when the students finally "get it," when they finally understand an idea or make a connection, that I really feel like I'm part of something awesome. I did not really know this feeling until I actually spent time in the classroom, and I can't wait each day to come to school because of it. We don't always have those moments, but to keep trying for it, with the students, is certainly cause to keep going. I also know that it isn't me. When they come to those conclusions themselves, or work out some great concept, it is all them, and their faces are mixture of pride and confidence. As a teacher, I want to keep opening up opportunities for those moments to happen, so together we can become independent thinkers and learners.
Daybook Reflection: April 19, 2011
This daybook reflection was written during one of my final class periods with the AP Language and Composition class. Our primary goal for the semester, and I had discussed this with the students, was to work to have more effective class discussions. When I first arrived, the students just talked over each other, essentially yelling ideas. It was chaos. In order to develop more effective class discussions, we started out small, and completed various activities and smaller discussions that asked students to use the skills and techniques necessary for whole class conversation. On this day, in particular, I was able to see how truly far we had come. The students had a completely student-led focused class discussion rather than a shouting match. All I did, as teacher, was sit in the corner and reflect on all their awesome ideas! The students were also able to reflect on the success of their discussion, as revealing how well they had learned to reflect on and take responsibility for their learning.
Student Reflections
Given below are just a few examples of student reflections. These reflections were written as letters to me or just quick notes reflecting on individual learning and class overall. We worked continually in class to develop how we reflect on our thinking and learning. Making reflection a daily occurrence was important to this process.
Exit Sticky-Notes
This picture is of an exit sticky-note, which is a quick reflection that follows activities in class or at the conclusion of class. These reflections focus on just that day or specific activity, and ask students to think about what engaged them/did not engage them for the day. This is great practice for reflection, and also benefits me as the teacher. I get to see how the students did or did not connect with class.
Reflective Letters
This example of a reflective letter followed the conclusion of our fairy tale unit in English 2. Students were asked to reflect on the appeal of fairy tales over time, and use activities and discussions we've had in class to back up their ideas.
Student Daybook Reflections
This picture is an example of a student daybook reflection. We not only reflected in class on ideas or concepts through the day, but we also periodically had daybook checks. This is where students were asked to pick specific daybook entries for me to read, and then reflect on those entries using sticky-notes. This way the daybook was still their own, but I was able to see their thinking, and they once again, practiced reflective learning.
Inspirational Notes
At times during my student teaching experience and particularly at the conclusion, many of the students wrote inspirational notes about class, the daybook, and me as a teacher. These notes, like the one seen in the picture, mean so much to be as an educator and as a person.
