The Teacher as Reflective Practitioner Personal Growth

Plan
Learning to teach, like teaching itself, is always the process of becoming; a
time of formation and transformation, of scrutiny into what one is doing, and who
one can become (McIntyre & OHair, 1996, p. 1). Teaching perhaps more than most
professions, demands constant self-evaluation and honest personal reflection, not
only to ensure professional growth, but to guarantee students are getting the best
education possible. There is nothing more dispiriting to students than teachers who
are stuck in a rut. These teachers are failing themselves and their students.
One key aspect of being a healthy reflective practitioner is openness to
criticism. Some key questions to ask yourself to determine if you are open to
criticism are as follows:
Do you ignore what other people say when they comment on your teaching,
physical appearance, or success level?
Do you seek feedback in these areas from valued opinion leaders in your school?
Are you interested in learning what others have to say about you? Would you
rather not know?
Do you often wonder if the comments made about you by your cooperating
teacher or university supervisor are really sincere? (McIntyre & OHair, 1996, p. 6).

Many of us feel sensitive to criticism, but active avoidance can be a critical

mistake for teaching professionals who want to improve. One of the first tasks of a
reflective teaching practitioner is to not only accept feedback, but invite it from as
many sources as possible. As teachers we owe it not only to ourselves, but to our
students to be constantly improving. Personally, as a student teacher, I have found
the feedback from my associate teacher invaluable, but even more so, the feedback
from the students. This feedback acts as a map of where I am and where I need to

go. It is important to remember that it is never personal; this is not about your value
as a person, but your ability as a teacher.
When I talk about a professional growth plan, it is essential to remember that
I am describing a process that is never static, but in fact constantly in flux. Each day
requires observations on our experiences, reflecting on them, and planning to
implement changes in our practice. This is followed up by trialing the new methods
and following the same process as outlined in the flow chart.
Another interesting approach to becoming an effective reflective practitioner
is the 4R model of reflective thinking developed by Mary and Michael Ryan. It
divides the process into four stages; reporting, relating, reasoning, and
reconstructing (2012). Beginning with reliable and consistent reporting methods is
essential. Respond to the incident by making observations, expressing your
opinion, or asking questions (Ryan & Ryan, 2012, p. 254). For example, a teacher
should reflect on their day and report on what happened. In my personal practice
this takes the form of a journal. At the end of each day I put time aside to write a
general overview of what happened that day. This helps put my day in perspective
and ensure that I remember everything that would otherwise be forgotten by
dinnertime. This journal is the bedrock of my reflective pedagogical practice.
The second stage is relating. Relate or make a connection between the
incident or issues and our own skills, professional experience, or discipline
knowledge. Have I seen this before? Were the conditions the same or different? Do I
have the skills and knowledge to deal with this? (Ryan & Ryan, 2012, p. 254). This
part is essential in deepening your understanding of the various incidences that
may have occurred throughout your day. It helps to make connections and draw

upon experience. After having taught in Korea for over four years, I find I must be
careful when relating to my experiences. Many teaching methods are not cross
cultural, what makes sense in one cultural context may be completely
counterproductive in another. However, placing everything in a context helps us
understand it, and deepen our consideration of learning.
The third and fourth stage includes reasoning and reconstructing. For
reasoning, Highlight in detail significant factors underlying the incident or issue.
Explain and show why they are important to an understanding of the incident or
issue (Ryan & Ryan, 2012, p. 254). For reconstructing, Reframe and reconstruct
future practice or professional understanding. How would I deal with this next
time? (Ryan & Ryan, 2012, p. 254). It is recommended that theory or expert
knowledge be used here to help sort through many of the complicating factors. We
are not islands onto ourselves. As teachers it is important to reach out and see what
people are saying about these topics. Finally, by incorporating the previous steps
into a change in our practice, grounded in experience and theory, we are much
more likely to have success when making these shifts. This may seem time
consuming, but like anything, with a little practice it becomes second hand and
natural. Reflective practice and professional growth are interlinked. Its not about
going above and beyond what is expected of us, but rather fulfilling expectations of
ourselves and our students.

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