Essay On Critical Reflection

I choose this article because it is about the role of critical reflection in an alternative teacher preparation program. Through my critical reflections this year, I have learned many aspects about myself as a teacher. So, I felt like this was an important article to read and that it really dives into why critical reflection is so important. My first thought when reading the reflections that Mike and Kathy had written was, “Wow, it seems like they have such difficult experiences to pull from and consequently learn from.” Then when I thought more about my students and what they are faced with, I realized that children are all going through different situations. What I do as a teacher to guide and motivate them is what is most important. As mentioned in the article, “This kind of attentiveness is a foundation for teachers to build relationships with their students on, understand students’ experiences and perceptions, and work for …show more content…
I choose to reflect on this book because I agree with parts of Vygotsky’s theories and I don’t agree with others. This book made me wonder whether the Vygotskian approach to education is what I want to use in my classroom. One interesting tool mentioned in this book is the use of mediators. A mediator facilitates the child’s development by making it easier for the child to perform a certain behavior. An example used in the book is internal speech. I could use this tool if I was helping a child learn to read. I could say, “Break the word apart or look at the pictures for a clue”. Then, the child would begin to have internal speech that said these same things. A physical mediator would make sense for a particular student in my class that has a difficult time getting started and following directions. In his case, a physical mediator of a habit might help him gather his materials quickly so he could get started on his work