Successful K-12 Reflective Learning Experiences

Reflective Writing and Learning Help Teachers Engage Students

May 10, 2009 Dorit Sasson

Reflective writing and learning help new teachers develop greater awareness of how they can engage their students more effectively in their instruction.

New teachers often don’t know if they managed to teach their students successfully. Reflective learning help them cope with their self-doubt and uncertainty that is part of the stress of managing a classroom.

Reflective Learning Logs Help Teachers Reflect on Instruction

Teachers add to their professional growth by observing and reflecting on what goes on in their classrooms. Teachers can then share their insights with other teachers through the process of collaboration.This acquired knowledge enables teachers to incorporate working theories that potentially match the instructional needs of their students.

Typically, reflective writing is an ongoing process. Teachers rethink what happened in class, what worked and didn't work to meet their instructional goals, and how their teaching behaviors can change or improve.

Documenting student performance and related factors gives teachers information to further reflect and plan how to meet student needs. Reflective learning may begin with an inquiry-based format. Teachers ask themselves questions and then seek answers through collaboration with other teachers. They can experiment with various instructional strategies and methods.

Reflective Writing Helps Teachers Learn what Works

Reflective writing journals enhance teaching behaviors. They provide unique perspectives for teachers as they endeavor to close the gaps in their students’ proficiency levels. Successful use of reflective writing can give insight into how to engage students more effectively.

As part of their own personal development, all teachers can use reflective learning logs to ask questions and isolate issues facing their students, especially their struggling readers. Once teachers know how the issues influence their instruction, they can begin the process of adapting the curriculum to meet the needs of their students. First, teachers will want to review their reflective learning logs to determine which methods and strategies have been most effective in their teaching using reflective writing techniques.

Reflective Writing Techniques

Guided subjects for reflective writing help teachers format their thinking and writing. They also expose teachers to new options for engaging students that can be considered, written about and discussed in their meetings.

Teachers trainers such as Margaret Walline (1996) offers teachers guided subjects as a way to stimulate their thinking as they reflect on lessons. Such guided subjects include: describe new knowledge you obtained, react to teaching experiences, argue for or against a particular technique or procedure, and ask questions about the lesson.

Teachers can use their reflective learning experiences to pinpoint areas of success in their day-to-day teaching. Reflective writing aids them as they plan and develop subsequent instruction to engage their students more effectively in the learning process.

Works Cited

Walline, Margaret. Learning Logs or Journals. The Open University. (unpublished data) 1996.

The copyright of the article Successful K-12 Reflective Learning Experiences in New Teacher Support is owned by Dorit Sasson. Permission to republish Successful K-12 Reflective Learning Experiences in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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