Running head: REFLECTION POINT 1

Reflection Point 1
Natalie Beals
George Mason University

REFLECTION POINT 1

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Reflection Point 1

When teachers describe to what they do in the classroom, they often refer to their
teaching as a practice. This word practice suggests that the skills that go along with teaching are
constantly in the process of development or improvement. EDUC 612, Inquiry into Practice,
centered on systematic, critical reflection as a means of improving our teaching practice. The
course was based around Taggarts (2005) levels of critical reflection, from technical
reflection (addressing problems as they arise through behavior or skill adjustment), to
contextual reflection (changing practices in light of past events or student needs), to
dialectical reflection (considering the socioeconomic, cultural, or ethical issues that are at the
root of classroom problems). In the effort to push us toward dialectical reflection, the course
addressed matters such as language and culture and how they contribute to classroom behavior
and performance from both students and teachers. Finally, the course illustrated how systematic
reflection can lead to inquiry, in which teachers conduct research in their classrooms for the
purpose of bettering the teaching and learning that happens there.
Reflective practice for the purpose of inquiry seemed to be the key focus of this course.
Through the readings and journal entries conducted during this course, I have come to view
reflection as looking back at what happens in the classroom for the purpose of improving future
learning in the classroom. Reflection not only examines the effects of what happens in the
classroom, but also why it happens in the first place, considering cultural backgrounds, language
diversity, individual dispositions, and classroom actions. Reflection prompts questions that can
be researched in the classroom through the process of inquiry. Considering teaching and
learning through the multiple factors present in the classroom allows, as Dewey (as cited in
Rodgers, 2002) suggested, a hospitality to new ways of seeing and understanding (p. 861).
This element of teaching manifests the Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning (ASTL)
Learning Outcome of systematic inquiry of practice (GMU, 2014, p. 3). The required journal
reflections for this course have helped me to develop my own understanding of reflection and
have provided training for when I continue his practice in my classroom. Though I frequently
undergo mental reflections in my classroom, systematic written reflection has not been a part of
my normal teaching practice. Though this type of writing was difficult for me at first, I
gradually became more comfortable with the process. Reflecting upon these journal reflections
later, for the Teacher Belief Statement and the Autobiographical Study, revealed further
understandings about myself and my teaching that will be useful for future inquiry in my
classroom. For example, the journal entry Cultural Understanding provided the basis for
future reflection on the influencing cultures present in my life conducted during the
Autobiographical Study. These learning opportunities have revealed to me that the work of
reflection is never finished and that one can always delve deeper into the undercurrents of the
classroom.
Another ASTL Learning Outcome addressed through this course is diversity (GMU,
2014). Since reflection contemplates issues outside the classroom that affect the goings-on
inside, cultural considerations should form a major part of systematic reflection. The
Autobiographical Study, in particular, was useful to my understanding of culture. As a

REFLECTION POINT 1

European-American from a middle class background, I had never really considered my cultural
make-up. To me, the word culture always implied something different from me rather than
something that formed who I am. Through my autobiographical writing, I observed that not only
do I have a distinct culture, but it has influenced my interactions with others and my approaches
to teaching and learning. For example, growing up in a large family means that I am used to
teamwork and compromising for the good of the group rather than acting only for the benefit of
myself: this collaborative interaction is used daily in my classroom as students work with each
other and as I work with them and plan with other teachers.
Finally, this course seemed committed to the ASTL Learning Outcome of student
learning (GMU, 2014). Dewey (1933) suggested that reflection without the next step of
inquirythe action elementis merely entertainment and, to Deweys evidence-based view of
education, a waste of time. Reflection without the purpose of improving classroom practice is
certainly not critical reflection and neglects reflections potential impact on student learning. As
teachers reflect on their teaching and what happens in their classrooms, they become aware of
problems that inspire specific, researchable questions. Inquiring into these questions produces
data, which can later be analyzed through more reflection. Though reflecting on the data may
provide some answers to issues of student learning, it often elicits even more questions,
continuing the process of improving student learning. The assignments of this course were not
specifically geared toward classroom inquiry; however, our journal reflections on events and
issues in the classroom did prompt some questions that I can research in my own classroom. For
example, our study of culture, combined with my concentration of Advanced International
Baccalaureate, inspired the question: How can a classroom emphasis on internationalmindedness affect student perceptions of diversity? When it comes to ethnicity, my students
are not very diverse, but it would be interesting to investigate how a more internationally minded
approach to teaching may affect their perceptions of culture and diversity.
In summary, this course has provided me with a basis for understanding and reflecting on
the rest of my coursework. Though I do not yet automatically reach for Taggarts dialectical
reflection, I have become more aware of the cultural, sociopolitical, and moral nuances that are
present in the classroom and how they affect teacher practice and student learning. Through the
experience of reflective writing, as conducted in this course, I have come to see the benefit of
reflections practical application in the classroom, as well as its potential to continue teacher
learning and improve teaching performance.

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References

Dewey, J. (1933). What is thinking? Boston, MA: D.C. Heath & Company.
George Mason University (GMU). (2014). ASTL Student Handbook 2014-2015. Retrieved May
7, 2015 from http://gse.gmu.edu/advanced-teaching-studies/
Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective thinking.
Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866.
Taggart, G. (2005). Promoting reflective thinking in teachers: 50 action strategies. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.