from Terry Hayek
Reflection is a fundamental principle of learning; therefore, it is also a major part of teaching.
Why this happens is a matter of humility. But how and when it happens – and with whom – is less clear. This is partly due to the fact that there are many sides to the reflection – length, width and depth. Z axis
She is whole.
As a kind of definition, to reflect means to look back at how something “was” and see it for all its available parts and patterns: Causes and effects; comparisons and contrasts; strengths and weaknesses; its characteristics; how close it is to what you expected; your emotions.
I planned this and it happened, and now I think this.
Therefore, reflection is the bridge between what we do and what we can do better. It is the pause that allows improvement, the silence that precedes understanding. And while it may seem like an abstract ideal, its effects are anything but.
What does the reflection look like?
Reflection in teaching might look like this:
A teacher stops at the end of a lesson to write a quick note: What went well? What not? How did the students react?
Collaborative conversations during Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): Sharing successes, analyzing failures and considering alternative strategies.
Reviewing student work with curiosity, not judgment: What does this tell me about their mindset? What gaps do I see? What strengths can I build on?
End-of-day mental review: Thinking about moments that stood out—successes, struggles, surprises—and unpacking why they mattered.
Reflection doesn’t always require structure, but structure can help. This is a way to make reflection a habit instead of an afterthought. Reflection can happen alone or with others, formally or informally, in writing or in thought.
Tools for reflection
To make reflection practical and actionable, consider tools like:
Keeping a diary: Keep a simple study journal. At the end of each day, write down three things: what worked, what didn’t, and what you’re curious about tomorrow.
Checklists or rubrics: They can be used to evaluate lessons or teaching strategies against specific criteria.
Student Reviews: Regularly solicit input from students about what helps them learn. This can be done through surveys, open-ended questions or informal discussions.
Video recording: Recording a lesson and reviewing it can offer an objective view of your teaching in action.
Reflection as a shared practice
Reflection does not have to happen in isolation. Peer collaboration adds new perspectives and reveals blind spots. When teachers share their reflections, it normalizes practice and creates a culture of school growth.
Ask colleagues: What’s a strategy you’ve used that’s worked well recently? What’s the challenge you’ve been thinking about?
Engage in reflective protocols: Structured discussions such as the Critical Buddies protocol provide a framework for sharing and analyzing teaching practices.
The benefits of reflection
The benefits of reflective teaching are rippled outward. For teachers, it fosters professional growth, sharpens self-awareness, and rekindles purpose. It creates better learning experiences for students and models lifelong learning.
Reflection is not about achieving perfection, but about continuous improvement. It is the practice of aligning your actions with your beliefs, ensuring that your teaching reflects your core values and best intentions.
Reflection sounds like an abstract idea – something non-concrete and even a bit mystical. Something we do in the shower on our way home when no one is around and we are free to wander in our own minds. It is certainly true that reflection comes most effortlessly, and in its purest and rawest forms, under those circumstances when we—that is, our minds—are not otherwise engaged.
Reflection is not a single thing – a check box in some elliptical learning cycle. It’s as much a matter of self-awareness, humility, and love as it is time, consistency, and procedure.
I can see the craft of teaching as a sequence of steps and as the execution of a design. It is both parts and whole. Science and art. Professionals and people.
I know that nothing is ever perfect, so I strive to improve. I also know what can be improved within my capabilities and what paths there are to get there.
I believe in the endurance of knowledge and understanding, and I will bring all that I know to my craft.
With this kind of review, their practice of reflection is more fruitful, a kind of tilling the ground for harvesting. This is where the non-abstractions come in – the tangible tools, processes and reflection partners that allow us to socialize ourselves and our teaching and benefit from the concrete practice of reflection.
The role of reflection in teacher development
When I use social media, I do so as both a practice and a matter of thought. Mechanical actions lead to thought and vice versa. I browse social channels, check mentions and messages and respond if it makes sense. These are inputs. The result, if I understand it correctly, is a reflection.
If I read a tweet, interpret what I think its meaning is, find relevance in its message, and consider—even briefly—how I relate to it and it to me, I approach reflection.
Tweet: The gathering momentum behind social emotional learning
My reaction: What is the “big idea” of social-emotional learning? What do I know – and what do I not know? What tools do I know that could work here? Do I need a tool – is it worth clicking on? Should I save to Pocket without clicking? Click and read? RT without reading? Read then RT? Favorites with or without reading? How do I spend my time on social media right now? Am I messing up or should I be more intentional – I have that tool or idea for that need tomorrow.
If reflection happens on social media—and it does—then it is both a matter of practice and habit—a tendency toward the kind of thought that promotes change in your teaching. But this really has nothing to do with Twitter; this is just a simple example that many of you can relate to. It is about the dimensions of reflection: How, When and Who.
How does reflection happen?
You can start with prompts for reflective teaching. These – or others – can be about looking at the subtleties of teaching, as long as they lead to you building both the capacity and inclination to reflect on yourself.
There is, of course, a vulnerability that comes with reflection. Being honest, transparent and then standing alone.
Reflection actually starts much earlier, alone, in your own mind, after something happens. Then it often happens to someone – a friend, colleague or loved one. Maybe even a student. Then you are likely to think again, alone, now pushed further in your thinking by the “together” part. Writing about it again and then sharing it with others makes the reflection more complex and more personal.
Sequence: Alone–>Together–>Alone
Reflection, among other patterns, often occurs alone (which is slow and passive), together (which is more immediate and active), and then alone again (once again, slow and passive).
Sequence: While Teaching–>After Teaching–>After School
Reflection is also a matter of time. The reflection can happen at any time, but not earlier than the beginning of the event: the lesson, the evaluation, the meeting, the Socratic discussion.
while teaching how is it going really? What adjustments seem necessary? What is most important here? Then immediately after that how did it go (evaluation) and how do I know (data)? After school, now that I’ve had a chance to “detach” myself from the event, what do I think now? What’s holding back? What should I do differently next time? What would the students say if they were right here next to me?
Sequence: Students–>Colleagues–>PLN
and then, with whom shall I reason? Students? Colleagues? Professional learning networks? My wife? How is each episode different? What is worth talking about and forgetting?
How can I see reflection as a way of teaching so that it is impossible to isolate and detail, but instead is moment by moment something is this always with me like a heartbeat?
What it means to be a reflective teacher
