400: Reflecting on Teaching

Optional Worksheet

Questions for Teacher Reflection

Diverging from my plan

  1. In what ways did I need to change my teaching plan in the course of teaching?
  2. Why did it need to change?
  3. Do I need to modify my teaching plan for the future to include the new or different approaches from the outset?

Accomplishing everything I’d planned

  1. How did the students meet (or not meet) my expectations for the assignment?
  2. Was the pace appropriate and adequate for the students to complete the assignment? If not, why?
  3. Did students master some or all of the material more quickly than I expected?
  4. How might I need to adjust pacing for the future?

Student engagement

  1. What evidence of student engagement did I notice?
  2. When were students highly engaged? Why?
  3. Where were students disengaged or disinterested? Why?
  4. What changes can I make to foster consistently high levels of engagement?

Taking care of myself

  1. How did I feel while teaching?
  2. When was I feeling positive?
  3. When was I feeling stressed, disappointed, distracted, or otherwise negative?
  4. What actions can I take to avoid a negative classroom experience?

Confirming learning

  1. How do I know students achieved intended instructional outcomes?
  2. How might students have given me the impression of understanding when they really didn’t?
  3. What evidence of learning did I gather?

Classroom management

  1. Were there any instances of less-than-desirable student behavior?
  2. Why might students have engaged in behavior that was not productive?
  3. What actions can prevent classroom management issues from arising?
  4. How did I handle undesirable behavior with fairness and respect for all the students?
  5. Do I feel supported in classroom management by my colleagues and leadership? If not, where does it need improvement?

Peer and mentor relationships

  1. How do I share and collaborate with peers to improve our teaching practices?
  2. Using my strengths, how can I foster professional development for others?
  3. What skills do I need to develop? How do I find support for my professional development?
  4. How can I identify potential mentors in the area(s) I need?