Self Reflection In The Classroom

Self-reflection is a huge aspect of learning and growth- not only for yourself as a teacher, but also for your students. Every Friday my mentor teacher would have the students self-reflect on the week they had. It was called a “5-4-3-2-1” and it asked the students to list five things that made them smile that week, four words to describe their week, three things they plan to do that weekend, two things they learned that week and one goal they have for the next week. This gave students the opportunity to think about the week they had, and also think ahead for the next week. Students then had the opportunity to share what they wrote, if they wanted to, with the class. Developing students’ skills to become self-directed learners will lead to the use of self-reflection, pursuing constructive feedback, and the enthusiasm to learn from their peers. To sustain professional growth as a teacher, one should attend seminars and workshops, not be afraid to ask questions, and also be able to make mistakes in which they will …show more content…
In my Pre-K placement there was a student who was extremely smart, followed all the rules, and was a nice kid to everyone he came across. I noticed a drastic change in his behavior mid-way through my placement, and so did my mentor teacher. This student was now hitting other kids, talking out of turn, and just not listening to anyone. I later found out that this student was adopted, and had been having visitation with his birth mom. The child had been taken away from the birth mom and the adoptive family was in the process of having her visitation rights taken away. One day I asked this student if they just needed a hug, and he said yes. We hugged it out for a while and both cried. This situation was an eye opener, and I am really glad I never assumed this student was behaving this way for no reason. It is so important to pay attention to