Importance Of Critical Self-Reflection

The process of embedding culturally relevant teaching skills in faculty development should be an ongoing process (Haviland and Rodriguez-Kiino, 2009). The excitement about learning new material and the importance of cultural awareness can lose its momentum if it is not reinforced throughout the school year (Boyle et al., 2005). One dose of training is not a cure-all for instilling a new method of teaching.

Facilitating a foundation in academic or philosophical pedagogy can help form a path for the educator, a path to better understanding teaching, education, learning and learners. Often, most of the programs designed for learners and the curriculum is often derived from theories. Understanding theories can help guide a teacher through their education journey. Sometimes, teachers may struggle with classroom organisation or implementing the curriculum in a considerate, all-encompassing and engaging way, especially if you are a CRT or Graduate Teacher - and often these concepts can help inspire and encourage teachers. To be an empowered teacher means your classroom and students will be empowered learners, and that is the best type of learning. There are many theories that have contributed to education as a body and has many of these theories help educational departments plan curriculums to benefit not only teachers but also all students. What makes for a great teacher is considering the characteristics of the local community as well involving students’ families’ in the school body. Influences that help shape a teacher’s identity can include…

As postmodern educators feel their way through an ever changing multicultural classroom environment, it is imperative that each hold firmly to their philosophical positions and do not let society influence them in a negative way. At the same time all teachers should be continually reflecting inwardly to make oneself accountable to their profession.

Passion, knowledge of our duties, responsibility, and preparation are the key factors on which teachers should focus their teaching; these are the essential components that will permit teachers be ready for any situation and run a successful classroom. It is key to engage systematic reflection on our own teaching. Research has shown how deliberate and critical reflection on teaching practices contributes to excellence in our role as teachers, and improved educational outcomes for all children. Teachers are encouraged to regularly evaluate

As future, enthusiastic teachers, it’s a fun thought to imagine what kind of teacher we will be and how we will run our classrooms. So, then it only makes logical sense that we go in depth with this train of thought and analyze how we as individuals will be like as educators and how our personal socialization experiences have affected us as human beings. What compiles our cultural identity will be the general makeup as to what kind of teacher we will be. As I write this now, I am only 19 years of age and in the middle of my second year of college. However, I’ve been through enough throughout my 19 years of living that I’ve formulated a definite idea as to what my cultural identity is and how it affects me as a person, friend, and future educator.

The two units that I felt I could connect the most to were the mental health and the factors affecting wellbeing unit. I think I was able to connect the most to these units because some of the things that are talked about in the units applied to my life. In mental health and factors affecting wellbeing, we discussed the different factors that can affect our mental health. One example that we talked about was stress, and this is one reason why I was able to relate to the unit. I often have felt stressed therefore, I know the effects it has on our mental health. Another thing that we talked about was how our mental health is affected every day by little things, and, I agree with this statement because I too have experienced

Culturally Proficient Instructors actively learn about the students and about themselves in a cultural context. Guided by a framework of values, the Culturally Proficient Instructor reflects upon personal values and understands how they influence their perception of the world and how their experiences influence their behaviors.

Throughout this last semester, I have been student teaching at Shawswick Middle School where I was able to take a critical look at myself as an educator. Though the teacher and I did not see eye to eye, this disagreement helped me to better form my own pedagogical beliefs and establish confidence in myself as an educator.

The theoretical framework of this study was shaped in what is known as critical pedagogy. Critical pedagogy considers how education can provide individuals with tools to better themselves and help create a more equal and fair society. Critical pedagogy can help students stand up and question authority.

Through the years, many articles have been written about teacher’s being culturally responsive in the classroom. What exactly is being “culturally responsive”? Becoming culturally responsive means to acknowledge the differences and the similarities between individuals and groups and connect them within the teaching environment. This acknowledgment should be modeled by the teachers working with students in the classroom. Teachers play an important role in balancing the academic and social curriculum for students.

• Attending year level meetings and planning days where I have been able to cooperative and contribute to create learning experiences

The role of the instructor in online education has been the subject of copious literature and research studies since online education alters the widely accepted traditional role of the instructor in traditional face-to-face educational settings. Berge (1995) in his article, “The Role of the Online Instructor/Facilitator” discusses the presence of the instructor in courses offered primarily at a distance and identifies a framework that consists of four categories that must be fulfilled by the online instructor/facilitator to successfully support learners in distance education. Berge (1995) discusses the pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical roles of the instructor and provides suggestions on the tasks each role entails.

Hsiao (2015) conducted a quantitative study to create a multidimensional scale known as the Culturally Responsive Teacher Preparedness Scale (CRTPS) based on a teacher’s self-report. By defining the term responsive as expressing appropriate reaction in instructional contexts, the exploratory study measured how prepared preservice teachers are with implementing teaching practices and its concomitant effects on culturally responsive teaching (CRT). To holistically cover the dimensions of education, Hsiao (2015) lists five elements that encompass CRT: diagnosing students’ needs; curriculum content; counseling and guidance; instructional strategies; and performance assessment (p. 241). The study evolves as Hsiao distinguishes the scholarly interpretations

Research has been increasingly done on learning and self-reflect and its effectiveness, one of the first researchers' john Dewey stated, 'we do not learn from experience... We learn from reflecting on experience.' John believed that deep learning comes from array of experience, reflection, abstraction, and active testing. James Zull's (2002) fascinating book on the biology of learning, points out evidence that the learning cycles arises naturally from the structure of the brain. Donald Schon also amongst the first to write about reflective practice with his exploration of experience, interaction and reflection with his book 'the reflective practitioner' in 1983, Donald defines reflective practice as the practice by which professionals become receptive of the implicit knowledge base and learn from their experience. 'The practitioners allowed Donald to experience puzzlement, surprise or confusion in a situation which is found uncertain or unique. Self-reflection is like considering a mirror and describing what you see. The term refers to an activity or process in which an experience is recalled, considered and evaluated to gain insight on oneself, ones valued or knowledge gained. The ability to reflect on experience encourages insight and complex learning. In contrast, self-reflection is a process used to study one's own performance in order to improve it. In order for one to succeed, it is vital to have knowledge of what each strengths and weaknesses are for self-development

“What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves.” 1A teachers objective should not be to shape the students as a reflection of that educators image, instead they should see themselves as the medium of which the information in communicated, they should see themselves a person who elevates that students to higher concepts of learning, aspiration and liberation. A good teacher must recognize the strength and weaknesses in skills of the individual and class and reflect on how to leverage strength amongst learners to