Supervisors have an important job when it comes to helping future teachers think about their teaching during their training. This thinking process, called reflection, is a key part of growing as a teacher. It helps teacher candidates look back on their experiences, understand their teaching style, and connect what they’ve learned in theory to what they do in the classroom. To help candidates reflect deeply, they need guidance and support from their supervisors.
One good way for supervisors to help is through regular feedback sessions. By meeting often to talk about classroom experiences, supervisors create a safe space. This makes it easier for candidates to share their feelings and thoughts about their teaching. During these meetings, supervisors can ask questions that make candidates think harder about their experiences. For example, they could ask, “What parts of your lesson went well, and what would you change?” or “How did the students react to your teaching methods?” These kinds of questions help candidates think deeply and learn more about their own practice.
Supervisors can also show how to reflect by doing it themselves. When candidates see their supervisors carefully examining their own teaching, it helps them understand how important reflection is. Supervisors can talk about their own successes and mistakes, which makes them relatable and shows that everyone has room to grow. By sharing their experiences, supervisors help candidates realize that reflection is a lifelong process, not just something they have to do for their training.
Another valuable tool is keeping a reflective journal. Supervisors can encourage candidates to write down their daily teaching experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This habit helps candidates organize their ideas and reinforces the importance of reflection. In meetings, supervisors can look at parts of these journals together, helping candidates recognize patterns in their thoughts and find areas to improve. Writing also gives candidates time to slow down and think deeply about their teaching.
Peer observation is another great way to promote reflection. Supervisors can set up times for candidates to watch their classmates teach. Afterward, they can talk about what they noticed, which teaching strategies worked well, and how they might use these ideas in their own classrooms. This kind of feedback helps create a supportive environment where everyone learns together.
Supervisors can also introduce structured ways to reflect. Models like Gibbs' Reflective Cycle and Schön’s Reflective Model can help organize their thoughts. By guiding candidates through these steps, supervisors make it easier for them to process what they’ve experienced. It can also be helpful to set specific weekly goals for reflection, like finding one strength and one area to improve in their teaching. This approach keeps their reflection focused and helps them grow over time.
Using technology can make reflection even better. Supervisors might suggest that candidates record their lessons on video. Watching these recordings allows candidates to see how they interact with students and assess their teaching style in real situations.
In the end, when supervisors commit to helping teacher candidates grow through reflection, they lay the groundwork for future professional development. By using different strategies like feedback sessions, demonstrating reflection, journal keeping, peer observations, structured methods, and technology, supervisors not only encourage reflection but also empower candidates to become thoughtful, adaptable teachers. This commitment makes reflection a key part of their teaching journey, helping them become skilled and reflective educators.
Supervisors have an important job when it comes to helping future teachers think about their teaching during their training. This thinking process, called reflection, is a key part of growing as a teacher. It helps teacher candidates look back on their experiences, understand their teaching style, and connect what they’ve learned in theory to what they do in the classroom. To help candidates reflect deeply, they need guidance and support from their supervisors.
One good way for supervisors to help is through regular feedback sessions. By meeting often to talk about classroom experiences, supervisors create a safe space. This makes it easier for candidates to share their feelings and thoughts about their teaching. During these meetings, supervisors can ask questions that make candidates think harder about their experiences. For example, they could ask, “What parts of your lesson went well, and what would you change?” or “How did the students react to your teaching methods?” These kinds of questions help candidates think deeply and learn more about their own practice.
Supervisors can also show how to reflect by doing it themselves. When candidates see their supervisors carefully examining their own teaching, it helps them understand how important reflection is. Supervisors can talk about their own successes and mistakes, which makes them relatable and shows that everyone has room to grow. By sharing their experiences, supervisors help candidates realize that reflection is a lifelong process, not just something they have to do for their training.
Another valuable tool is keeping a reflective journal. Supervisors can encourage candidates to write down their daily teaching experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This habit helps candidates organize their ideas and reinforces the importance of reflection. In meetings, supervisors can look at parts of these journals together, helping candidates recognize patterns in their thoughts and find areas to improve. Writing also gives candidates time to slow down and think deeply about their teaching.
Peer observation is another great way to promote reflection. Supervisors can set up times for candidates to watch their classmates teach. Afterward, they can talk about what they noticed, which teaching strategies worked well, and how they might use these ideas in their own classrooms. This kind of feedback helps create a supportive environment where everyone learns together.
Supervisors can also introduce structured ways to reflect. Models like Gibbs' Reflective Cycle and Schön’s Reflective Model can help organize their thoughts. By guiding candidates through these steps, supervisors make it easier for them to process what they’ve experienced. It can also be helpful to set specific weekly goals for reflection, like finding one strength and one area to improve in their teaching. This approach keeps their reflection focused and helps them grow over time.
Using technology can make reflection even better. Supervisors might suggest that candidates record their lessons on video. Watching these recordings allows candidates to see how they interact with students and assess their teaching style in real situations.
In the end, when supervisors commit to helping teacher candidates grow through reflection, they lay the groundwork for future professional development. By using different strategies like feedback sessions, demonstrating reflection, journal keeping, peer observations, structured methods, and technology, supervisors not only encourage reflection but also empower candidates to become thoughtful, adaptable teachers. This commitment makes reflection a key part of their teaching journey, helping them become skilled and reflective educators.