Reflective Practice as Professional Development

Reflective practice is an effective method of addressing common concerns felt by teachers, as this type of research encompasses identifying problems, collaboratively, and working together to find a solution or ways to address the issues at hand. This type of research can allow teachers to bring about “…practice improvement, innovation, change or development of social practice, and the practitioners’ better understanding of their practices” (Cohen et al., 2011, p. 345), which was necessary to address the CEFR in relation to the FSL curriculum document (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013).

I was able to identify a pressing issue at the forefront of the teacher participant’s practice, and we engaged in our own PD to professionally grow together and reflect on the CEFR, a document that neither of us had been formally introduced to in our professions. We identified a learning curve in our teaching and attempted to fill in necessary gaps to get us to where we needed to be in order to understand facets of the CEFR to improve our teaching. In doing my own background research, I aimed to influence my teacher participant and highlight the beneficial and practical aspects of the CEFR within an L2 classroom.

A lack of PD, time, and resources are significant obstacles for teachers. The teacher participant indicated numerous times her disappointment at the lack of support that teachers are receiving, and it is very likely that there are other educators who feel the same way. The teacher participant and I are hopeful that we will begin to receive some additional assistance in

implementing the CEFR in our classrooms. However, we feel that first and foremost, teachers need to be on board with the framework so that they may seek out CEFR-related PD, if and when it becomes available. Majhanovich et al.'s (2010) research illustrates that most teachers expressed the need for additional PD opportunities to attend workshops and in-services so that they may better understand the CEFR within their classrooms. Again, this notion played a role in the teacher participant’s lack of confidence in using the CEFR in the upcoming school year, simply because she complained that there were no resources available to her to use with her students.

Bringing the CEFR to life in the classroom was a focus of the discussions between the teacher participant and me. We came to a consensus that teachers need to be informed. Educators may experience difficulties if they feel as though they have not been given sufficient information to implement the framework and engage their students in appropriate activities, based on the CEFR. There may also be misconceptions regarding the document, leading to issues in understanding, transferring knowledge to others, and addressing L2 teaching within the

classroom. If the teacher participant and I did not embark on this journey together, we would not have had the chance to examine and analyze the CEFR and all that this framework has to offer. Without being given classroom ideas, such as those provided in the "On est capable" series (Ontario Ministry of Education, n.d.), or other suggested CEFR-infused activities, motivated teachers may encounter problems implementing the framework and have nowhere to look to gather this necessary information. Viewing resources and becoming familiar with credible

sources to assist teachers in learning more about the CEFR was informative; however, these materials required time to find and view. Without this type of case study, teachers would not necessarily be motivated to go beyond what they are given to search for answers themselves.

The type of reflective practice I employed for my study should be more frequently considered and promoted to all educators. Teachers need to take the initiative if they want results. Waiting around for PD opportunities is only wasting time that could be used to make positive steps to achieve success in the classroom. My research can be considered in other facets, not just in FSL environments, because teachers need to see themselves as researchers and take the initiative to take on professional learning in various capacities. There is value and a larger implication of the findings from my study. L2 PD opportunities, up to now, have been rare; thus, whether (or the extent to which) French is valued is not evident. Perhaps reflective practice should not only be contemplated at the school level, but also at the board level.

Following my research, it is my hope that administrators will see the importance of the use and implementation of more frequent professional learning, and either afford teachers or encourage them to seek out opportunities for reflective practice. That is, teachers should be provided with opportunities to reflect, share their reflections with one another, and offer professional suggestions to assist colleagues when the need and/or issues arise. It would be useful to allot time in the work day for French Immersion grade or division group teachers to work with one another throughout the year. When a "new" concept such as the CEFR is at the forefront of a school's focus or the curriculum, collaboration amongst teachers is beneficial and effective because they are then able to talk through their concerns and think aloud, thus leading to a deeper understanding of the issue. The concerns raised in my study are not unique to the CEFR and the FSL curriculum document (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013). When

considering other ministry initiatives, the recommendations that I am making for PD structures could be applied to other educational innovations as well.

Such collaboration may result in the need for more funding or release time for teachers, but these types of group meetings are more effective and authentic when teachers are the agenda- makers of their time, rather than working solely from top-down initiatives. Teachers can begin to think about what PD would look like during the school day and how much teacher involvement would be necessary to engage in such a project. Teachers can consider what it would look like to plan, learn, and reflect together and find ways to build PD into their weekly programs.

Teamwork between teachers could alleviate some of the individual workloads within the FSL learning environment. The activities that need to be developed within a classroom can be shared amongst other teachers, both in the school, and within the school board.