The Importance Of Reflection

My current understanding of reflection is that it is taking time to review and think about something you have done. During this reflection time, you may consider what you did successfully, what you could have improved, or you may use the reflection time to revise a plan. As a teacher, I often engage in reflection of my teaching practices and lessons. After a lesson I may jot down notes of what worked and what did not, or write down new ideas that I want to include next time. Another form of reflection that I use is discussions with colleagues. While reflecting with my grade level team, we share successes, challenges, and ideas for improvements.
After reading the lecture on reflection my understanding of reflection was expanded, and I was able to identify strengths and weaknesses in my reflective practices. Although I was familiar with the importance of reflection in teaching, the lecture helped me to understand why reflection is important for all professionals. I learned that reflection is important in any profession where there are situations that arise that do not have one “right” solution. Teaching has many such

However, I was also able to identify my weaknesses in reflection-on-action. Currently, I will write notes down directly on my lesson plans. I may write that a certain strategy worked well in helping students understand a concept, or I may write down what I added into my lesson last minute to make it more engaging. What is missing from my reflections though is a systematic approach and questioning why I did something, or how something came to be. In order for my reflections to be more meaningful, I need to find a formal systematic way to keep my notes on lessons. When engaging in discussions I usually address why I did something, but I want to ensure that I am doing this when reflecting independently as