On Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Although this article was written in 1984, I believe most if not all of the points made by Grant and Zeichner are relevant today. In particular, the part about teaching all children and not just the ones who best fit your idea of an ideal student.

Putting the time in to being reflective is something into which I have put some thought. What I began to think about was whether a true love of teaching leads to the reflective teaching or if this works the other way around. Also, am I ready to spend the time reflecting to mold my teaching, regardless of how difficult it may be, is a question I am asking myself. At the moment, I really believe that I have the motivation and willingness to do so and based on my commitment to other responsibilities I have held and currently hold, I don’t see this as an unrealistic goal. How I will go about in keeping up these current practices is something I must put more thought into. Continuing to make meaningful connections with students, I believe makes a big difference in keeping myself motivated. I believe these personal connections do not only benefit the individual students but also myself.