Becoming a Reflective Teacher

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by Margie Carter, Wendy Cividanes, Deb Curtis, and Debbie Lebo

(pages 18–20) 1, 2, 3

This article promotes reflective teaching practices by identifying specific activities and approaches that

teachers can use to think through their work. The authors present a Thinking Lens with questions to guide

teachers through a process of considering multiple perspectives for planning and responding to children.

Notes: Prior to the session,

1. Read the expanded version of the article online at www.naeyc.org/tyc. Ask participants to read and bring a copy of the article to the session.

2. Review the questions from the Thinking Lens.

3. Note that page numbers below refer to the expanded, online version of the article, not the version published in the April/May 2010 issue of Teaching Young Children.

Key points to reinforce during staff development sessions:

 Teaching young children is complex work that requires teachers to engage in an ongoing process of closely observing and studying the significance of children’s unfolding activities.

 Taking time to slow down, notice, and reflect on children’s activities and ideas allows teachers to make effective, meaningful decisions about how to respond to children while keeping the joy of being with children at the heart of their work.

 Using a protocol such as the Thinking Lens offers teachers a focused way to engage in reflective teaching practices.

Let’s Talk

1. In what ways do you practice reflective thinking in your life? How is such thinking helpful? What benefits come from taking the time to reflect on your interactions, activities, relation-ships, and so on?

2. In “‘I’m Incredible,’ a Learning Story,” on page 2, Deb Curtis describes her worry about how the children’s high energy and loud play make her nervous, as well as her enjoyment of their play. What kinds of children’s behaviors challenge you or “push your buttons?” How do you typically respond?

3. What do children do and say that delights you in your work? Why do you think you have these reactions? What do you typically do when you feel these reactions?

For Further Thinking

1. Look and respond. Distribute Handout 1: Photos of Engaged Learners. Have participants form small groups. Ask them to examine each of the photos, then use the Thinking Lens questions on page 4 to discuss their reactions to what they see in each photo. Ask the groups to present their reactions to the full group. How were the participants’ reactions alike? How were they dif-ferent? What might this mean?

2. Listen and discuss. Ask for a few volunteers to take turns reading aloud “‘I’m Incredible,’ a Learning Story” on page 2. Lead the full group in using the Thinking Lens questions to discuss their responses to the story. What ideas does Deb present in the story? How does she feel about

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11

April/May 2010 NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide 11

3. Share and learn from others. Ask participants to write a brief description of a situation in their work when the behaviors of one or more children puzzled, challenged, or delighted them. With participants’ permission, collect the descriptions and randomly choose several to share with the full group. You can ask the participant who wrote the description to read it aloud or you can read the anecdote yourself, allowing the writer to remain anonymous. The two approaches have different benefits.

Lead the full group in using the Thinking Lens questions to think through and discuss the situa-tion. What new insights come from the discussion? How do the responses to the questions affect reactions to the behaviors? Repeat this process several times.

4. Summarize and plan next steps. Ask participants:

• After using the Thinking Lens questions for the above discussions, what new understandings do you have about becoming a reflective teacher?

• What challenges do these ideas pose for your work?

• What next steps might you take in becoming a reflective teacher?

Have participants write a letter to themselves about what they have learned and how they plan to apply it in their journeys to becoming reflective teachers.

In the Classroom

1. Observe and document. Ask participants to watch and listen for a significant moment of play with a child or group of children that delights them. Encourage them to take photographs to document the details of what occurs and to jot down notes about what the children say and do. Next, they can use the Thinking Lens questions to study and discuss the significance of this play with a colleague.

2. Write about this moment. Ask participants to write a Learning Story using the guidelines on Handout 2: Write and Share a Learning Story.

3. Follow up. At the next session, ask participants to share, discuss, and study their Learning Story with others.

Becoming a Reflective Teacher

by Margie Carter, Wendy Cividanes, Deb Curtis, and Debbie Lebo (pages 18–20) (cont’d)

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Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Handout 1: Photos of Engaged Learners

1. Examine each photo.

2. Use the Thinking Lens to discuss your reactions to the photos with other members

of your group.

C our Tes Y of The A u Thors peg C A ll A gh A n / © n A e YC Tes Y of The A u Thors

1

2

3

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April/May 2010

NEXT: The Teaching Young Children Staff Development Guide 1

Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Handout 2: Write and Share a Learning Story

1. Write a paragraph directly to the child or children describing the details of the play you saw

and why it delighted you.

2. Write a second paragraph describing your reflections on the meaning of this play.

3. Write a third paragraph describing your thoughts about the opportunities you think this

play provides.

4. Share your story with the child’s/children’s family(ies) and add their response(s) to the story.

5. Read the Learning Story to the child/children. Write down and study what they say. What

perspectives do the children have about the story? After you have shared the Learning Story,

what changes do you see in the children’s play?

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To learn more and subscribe:

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Accompanies each issue of TYC

Subscribe to

We are eager to increase the involvement of preschool educa-tors in the Teachers’ Lounge area of TYC. Please encourage staff, students, and par-ticipants in staff development workshops to respond to the question in Teachers’ Lounge and to submit their own ques-tions. www.naeyc.org/tyc/lounge Every issue of TYC features a cover

photo of an exemplary preschool educator, accompanied by a profile within the magazine. To nominate an outstanding preschool teacher or family child care provider for this feature, please complete the form at www.naeyc.org

Puppets 6 Dramatic Play 16 Books and Math 22

teaching young children/PreSchool Vol 3 no 3

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Becoming a Reflective Teacher

This article promotes reflective teaching practices by identifying specific activities and approaches that

teachers can use to think through their work. The authors present a Thinking Lens with questions to guide

teachers through a process of considering multiple perspectives for planning and responding to children.

Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Handout 1: Photos of Engaged Learners

1. Examine each photo.

2. Use the Thinking Lens to discuss your reactions to the photos with other members

of your group.

1

2

3

Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Handout 2: Write and Share a Learning Story

1. Write a paragraph directly to the child or children describing the details of the play you saw

and why it delighted you.

2. Write a second paragraph describing your reflections on the meaning of this play.

3. Write a third paragraph describing your thoughts about the opportunities you think this

play provides.

4. Share your story with the child’s/children’s family(ies) and add their response(s) to the story.

5. Read the Learning Story to the child/children. Write down and study what they say. What

perspectives do the children have about the story? After you have shared the Learning Story,

what changes do you see in the children’s play?

To learn more and subscribe:

Available online, by subscription

Accompanies each issue of TYC

Subscribe to

NEXT:

The Teaching Young Children

Staff Development Guide

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