Reflective Practice

No matter how many times you teach a course, whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, there are always things you would like to change. But keeping track of those brilliant ideas for changes during a busy semester can be a challenge.  

After each lesson, it’s a good idea to take notes on your lesson plan, including 

    • What worked/didn’t work 
    • Questions that students asked that you need to follow up on 
    • An example that you would like to remember to use next time 
    • Additional resources you would have liked to have with you 
    • Etc. 

The cycle of reflective practice invites you to reflect and make notes on your course on a daily, weekly, and semesterly basis. 

What is reflective practice?

The process of reflection is a cycle which needs to be repeated: 

    • Teach; 
    • Self-assess the effect your teaching had on learning; 
    • Consider new ways of teaching which can improve the quality of learning; 
    • Try these ideas in practice; then 
    • Repeat the process. 

Image of reflective practice cycle: teach, self-assess, consider, and then practice.

 

 

 

 

 

For more about reflective practice, see Getting Started with Reflective Practice from the Cambridge International Education Teaching Team.