Written by Terry Huyck
Reflection is a fundamental principle of learning. Therefore, it is also a fundamental part of education.
Why that happens is a matter of humility. But when, how, and with whom it happened is less clear. One reason for this is that reflections have multiple aspects, such as length, width, and depth. Z axis.
It’s the whole thing.
As a sort of definition, “reflection” means looking back at how something “happened” and seeing all its available parts and patterns. Compare and contrast. strengths and weaknesses. Its characteristics. How close it was to what you expected. your emotions.
This is what I planned, this is how it turned out, and this is what I think now.
Reflection therefore provides a bridge between what we are doing and what we can do better. It is the pause, the silence that precedes understanding, that allows for improvement. Although it may seem like an abstract ideal, its effects are anything but.
What does the reflection look like?
Reflection in education looks like this:
A teacher stopping at the end of a lesson to jot down a quick note. “What worked?” What didn’t? How did the students react?
Collaborative conversations in professional learning communities (PLCs): Share successes, analyze failures, and consider alternative strategies.
Review student work with curiosity rather than judgment: What does this tell you about student thinking? What gaps do you see? What strengths can you build on?
At the end of the day, replay in your head: Reflect on memorable moments—successes, struggles, surprises—and figure out why they were important.
Reflection doesn’t necessarily need structure, but structure can be helpful. This is a way to make reflection a habit, rather than an afterthought. Reflection can be done alone or with others, formally or informally, in writing or in thought.
Tools for reflection
To make reflection practical and actionable, consider tools such as:
Diary: Keep a simple instructional diary. At the end of each day, write down three things: what went well, what didn’t work, and what you’re interested in doing tomorrow.
Checklists or rubrics: These can be used to evaluate lessons or teaching strategies against specific criteria.
Student Feedback: Regularly solicit input from students about what helps them learn. This can be done through surveys, open-ended questions, or informal discussions.
Video Recording: Record and review lessons to get an objective view of actual instruction.
Reflection as shared practice
Reflection does not have to be done in isolation. Collaborating with colleagues adds new perspectives and reveals blind spots. When teachers share their reflections, it normalizes the practice and creates a culture of growth within the school.
Ask your colleagues. What is one strategy that has worked for you recently? What issues are you reflecting on?
Engage in reflective protocols: Structured discussions like the “Critical Friends” protocol provide a framework for sharing and analyzing teaching practices.
Advantages of reflection
The benefits of reflective education spill over outward. For teachers, it fosters professional growth, sharpens self-awareness, and rekindles purpose. For students, it creates a better learning experience and models a lifelong learning process.
Reflection is not about achieving perfection, but about continuous improvement. It is the practice of aligning your actions with your beliefs and ensuring that your teachings reflect your core values and best intentions.
Reflection sounds like an abstract idea. It’s not very specific, and it’s even a little mysterious. The things we do in the shower on the car ride home when no one is around and when we are free to roam in our own minds. It is certainly true that reflection emerges most easily and in its purest and rawest form in situations when we, and therefore our mind, are not engaged in anything else.
Reflection is not a single thing, but a box to tick in an elliptical cycle of learning. It’s as much a matter of self-awareness, humility, and love as it is timing, order, and procedure.
I view the art of education as a series of steps and at the same time as the realization of a design. It is both the part and the whole. science and art. Both professionals and people.
I know that nothing is perfect, so I strive to improve. I also know what improvements I can make within my means and what paths I can take to get there.
I believe in the perseverance of knowledge and understanding, and I apply everything I know to my craft.
When this kind of consideration takes place, their reflective practice becomes more fruitful and becomes like plowing the ground to harvest a crop. This is where non-abstraction comes into play. It is a concrete tool, process, and partner for reflection that allows us to socialize ourselves and our teachings and benefit from concrete practices of reflection.
The role of reflection in teacher improvement.
When I use social media, I use it both as a practice and as a thought. Mechanical movements lead to thinking and vice versa. I skim through social channels, check for mentions and messages, and respond when it makes sense. These are inputs. If done correctly, the output is a reflection.
If I read the tweet, interpret what I think it means, find connections in the message, and think, even briefly, about myself, the tweet, and my relationship, I am approaching self-reflection. It will be.
Tweet: Building Momentum Behind Social-Emotional Learning
My response: What is the “big idea” of social emotional learning? What do I know and what don’t I know? What tools can I use here? Do I need tools? ?Is this worth clicking? Should you save it to your Pocket without clicking? Why not click and read? RT without reading? Would you like to RT after reading? Do you like it whether you read it or not? How am I spending my time on social media right now? Am I procrastinating or should I be more intentional? These tools and ideas are what you’ll need tomorrow.
If reflection occurs on social media, and it does, it is a matter of practice and habit, a tendency in thinking that fosters change in teaching. But this actually has nothing to do with Twitter. This is just a simple example that many people can relate to. It is about the dimensions of reflection: how, when and who.
How does reflection occur?
You can also start by encouraging reflective teaching. These and other contents may consider every aspect of education, as long as they build both the capacity and inclination for self-reflection.
Of course, reflection also involves vulnerability. Be honest, transparent, and independent.
Reflection actually begins much earlier, alone in one’s own mind, after something has happened. And often it happens to someone: a friend, colleague, loved one. It might even be a student. Then you will reflect alone again, and the “together” part will push your thinking further. Writing about it again and sharing it with others makes the reflection more complex and more personal.
Sequence: Alone –> Together –> Alone
Reflection often occurs alone (slowly and passively), together (more immediately and actively), and again alone (again, slowly and passively), among other patterns. .
Sequence: During class –> After class –> After school
Reflection is also a matter of timing. Reflections can be done at any time, but not right before the start of an event such as a lesson, assessment, meeting, or Socratic discussion.
What do you actually do while teaching? What adjustments do you think need to be made? What is the most important thing here? What happened immediately afterward (evaluation) and how can we know (data)? What do I think now that I have the opportunity to “take a break” from the event after school? What’s left? What should I do differently next time? What would my students say if they were standing next to me?
Order: Student –> Colleague –> PLN
So who should I reflect on? Student? colleague? Professional Learning Network?My Spouse? How is each episode different? What is worth talking about and what is worth forgetting?
How can I think of reflection as a teaching method, not as something impossible to isolate and itemize, but as a moment-by-moment thing that is always with me, like a heartbeat?
What it means to be a reflective teacher
