So often, as we teach and reteach the same courses, we accidentally fall into a pattern of repetition. Certainly, for those of us who have taught the same courses with the same student learning outcomes, we have found the activities that work, dismissed the ones that don’t, and only overhaul a course when it becomes absolutely necessary (Stark & others, 1988).

However, the benefits of taking the time to teach reflectively are multifold and can substantially contribute to a more fulfilling and effective teaching experience. Research shows us that employing reflective teaching practices “makes the teacher responsible for identifying subject content deficiencies and, through the act of reflection and being autonomous, the teacher addresses [their] own deficiencies” (Minott 135). After teaching and reteaching a course, we may no longer recognize the potential pitfalls of our curriculum if not through reflective tactics! If we turn to Lattuca and Stark’s model of the academic plan, we see that no course, program, or department is complete without the last step of adjustment, or the incorporation of “enhancements to the plan based on experience and evaluation” (Lattuca and Stark 5). Approaching reflection as an opportunity helps us to situate adjustment as a positive piece of the instructor experience, as it helps not only our students, but us, too! Instructors who see their teaching “as serious intellectual and creative work, as an endeavor that benefits from careful observation and close analysis, from revision and refinement, and from dialogues with colleagues and the critiques of peers” will create courses that are more student-focused and inhabit more effective learning experiences (Bain 21).

Going forward this semester, I encourage you to reflect on your own teaching practices using some of the tips below.

Tips for Teaching Reflectively

Implement student feedback into your course

Students will tell you what they want to do in your classroom if you allow them the space to do so! Using midterm course evaluations is a wonderful way to gauge where your students are and where you can meet them in the course. Offer up questions about content they would like to cover, teaching methods they would like you to employ, and opportunities they see for accessibility.

Make post-class notes

While your thoughts from the day’s lesson plan are still fresh, jot down a few notes for yourself on what worked and what didn’t from your perspective and your students’ perspectives. Note how students responded to your activities and assignments, but also solicit comments from them (i.e., Did this activity help ground this concept for you?). This quick reflection exercise will help you to better understand the dynamics of your current classroom and prepare accordingly for future classes during the semester.

Revise your teaching statement

One of the most important factors of a teaching statement is the reflective component—honestly recounting teaching to yourself (and to future employers!) is a great way to understand and explain how your pedagogical practices are manifesting in your classroom. In taking the space to write down your thoughts, you can begin to make a timeline of your teaching that can be used to reflect long-term.

Meet with CITL staff to work through classroom situations

Make an appointment with a CITL consultant to discuss tough classroom situations. These meetings are great if you have a lesson plan you would like to discuss, if you are redesigning an assignment you would like to make more accessible, or if you would like to brainstorm applications of OCQ responses! Email the CITL at citl@iu.edu to schedule an appointment with one of our consultants!

Attend conferences on teaching

ISSOTL (International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) is hosting their annual conference in French Lick, Indiana from October 28 to October 31, 2024! This and other conferences are great avenues to reflect on your teaching practices.

For more information on registering, please follow the link above or contact Shannon Sipes at sipessm@iu.edu or JT Cornelius at sotlgrad@iu.edu.

However you choose to interact with reflective teaching, reflecting on any aspect of teaching brings you closer to not only being aware of the value you have as an instructor, but actively examining classroom problems in a constructive way (Honigsfeld 129). Grab a mirror, everyone. Let’s get to reflecting.

 

Works Cited:

Bain, Ken. What the Best College Teachers Do (Cambridge, Mass), 2004.

Belanger, Elizabeth. “How Now? Historical Thinking, Reflective Teaching, and the Next Generation of History Teachers.” The Journal of American History, vol. 97, no. 4, 2011, pp. 1079–88. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41508917.

Honigsfeld, Andrea, and Charlotte Allen. “Self-Reflection and Life Review Theory: A Cross-Cultural, Interdisciplinary Experience for Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers.” Race, Gender & Class, vol. 17, no. 1/2, 2010, pp. 128–34. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41674732.

Minott, Mark A. “The Impact of a Course in Reflective Teaching on Student Teachers at a Local University College.” Canadian Journal of Education / Revue Canadienne de l’éducation, vol. 34, no. 2, 2011, pp. 131–47. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/canajeducrevucan.34.2.131.