Reflective Practice

What is Reflective Practice

Reflective Practice is one of the seven essential elements of CAP and is a part of the third standard, "Profesional Culture". 

Element: 4.A.1: Reflective Practice

Proficient Descriptor: "Regularly reflects on the effectiveness of lessons, units, and interactions with students, both individually and with colleagues, and uses insights gained to improve practice and student learning" (Candidate Assessment of Performance (CAP) - Educator Preparation, n.d.).

Reflective Practice in the Classroom

The truth is, no matter how many degrees we obtain or how much knowledge we acquire, teachers are never done learning. As a student-teacher, the learning never ceased. Students also constantly amazed me with new slang, scientific facts, and personal stories. On one occasion, they came into class and asked for my opinion on the ethics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because they were working on an English paper. This was the perfect opportunity to adjust my practice and shift the discussion to GMO ethics while delivering the content. I strongly believe that students learn best when education reflects their values and interests. Whether it meant turning a class greeting into a discussion topic, incorporating underrepresented scientific role models, or seeking direct feedback from students, my aim was to ensure that students felt engaged and had a sense of belonging in the classroom. I consistently emphasized to students that the classroom was theirs and I was there to support their learning.

As a teacher, I recognized that my own learning journey was far from over. My main priorities in the classroom were establishing a safe learning environment and implementing culturally responsive teaching practices. To accomplish this, I reflected on my own educational experiences and conducted research to learn about efforts being made to create more equitable and inclusive teaching practices. For instance, to uncover my biases, I took an implicit bias test and discovered that I had a slight automatic association between men and science and women and liberal arts. I also learned that I had a moderate automatic preference for able-bodied individuals over disabled individuals. At the time of taking this test, I had already taken steps to broaden and diversify the scientific role models my students encountered by featuring scientists from marginalized backgrounds on my class stream, with a particular emphasis on women. However, I was determined to do more. One idea I had was to incorporate the scientists I showcased into my lessons.

In my classroom, I consciously tried to vary my instructional methods and teaching approaches. This included having students read slides aloud, recall directions, explain their answers, draw their responses, or use gestures and hand motions to emphasize topics or illustrate sequences. By employing a range of instructional techniques, I aimed to cater to different learning styles and engage students more effectively.

Below are samples of my own self-reflection and student feedback surveys. Please read the sections "Meeting Diverse Needs," "Adjustment to Practice," and "culturally responsive teaching" to read more about my reflective practice in those areas.