Page 247 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Part 3: Meditate

Take a Breath

Quick Tips for How to Self-Reflect

Here are four ideas for easy self-reflection:
1. Keep a journal. Choose the format that works best for you (hand-
written, typed, recorded, etc.) and journal on a regular basis. Reflective
questions for journaling might include:
✦ How did my lesson go today? What went well and what might I
consider improving upon?

✦ How did students react to the lesson?
✦ Did students seem engaged and motivated to learn during the lesson?
✦ Were the learning objectives met? What learning occurred?

✦ What evidence of learning did I observe or record? How might I use
that data to prepare my next lesson?

At the end of a teaching unit, week, or quarter, go back and reread your
journal entries. Spend some time reflecting on your past self, then write a
self-reflection journal entry about this process.
2. Conduct peer observation. You can learn a lot by watching other
educators. Even though time is a limited commodity in schools, try to get
out of your classroom occasionally to conduct peer observations. And
when you are observing your peers, think about what lessons you might
take from their teaching. Don’t try to copy your peers; rather, find ways
to adapt their strengths or positive attributes to your teaching style and
classroom.
3. Record your lessons. Make a video of yourself teaching, then watch
the video and take notes. Reflect on how the lesson went. (You may have
a specific aspect you’d like to target, or you could simply let ideas emerge
as you watch.)
4. Schedule time for self-reflection. In your lesson plans or schedule for
the workweek, include time for self-reflection and commit to maintaining
this practice.

160 Stretch Yourself

Stretch Yourself: A Personalized Journey to Deepen Your Teaching Practice 247