It's the end of the semester and it's time to wrap up what we learned in our teacher preparation classes. So I always ask the same three questions of my students to gauge their growth as an educator.
- What's the muddiest point for you? In other words, what is still unclear for you at this point? What doesn't make sense? What do you think you still need to learn more about?
- What was your "Ah Ha!" moment this semester? In other words, what did you learn that was a surprise to you? Or what did you learn that finally made sense for the first time?
- What did you learn about yourself as a learner? In other words, did you discover your tried and true way of doing things doesn't always work? Did you realize that as it turns out you're not an auditory learner? Did you realize that you work better when you collaborate instead of going about it like the lone ranger?
A reflective teacher is an effective teacher. Every decision we make on behalf of kids needs to be supported by evidence that it is the right decision. We can learn how to do that by first asking ourselves why we do what do - before someone else does!