What is self reflection?
Self reflection is the act of meditation or serious thought about one's character, actions, and motives. In my experience there are mainly two types of people when it comes to self reflection– the ones who don't do it at all and the other is overly critical of themselves through their reflection. That's why I am here to show you an easy to implement a teacher self reflection practice that is sure to make it a positive experience for you.
Why should I intentionally practice teacher reflection?
- allows for self-awareness
- helps you understand your strengths and weaknesses
- develops creativity skills
- helps aid in decision making
- encourages active engagement
- provides time for personal and professional growth
How do I practice it?
- walking- Sometimes going for a nice, calm walk can provide you with the headspace to reflect on your day.
- running- This can also be a way to clear your mind and focus on you. (Personally, it's not my fav but you do you, girl!)
- writing- This is my personal favorite. My brain is often muddled with all sorts of thoughts so by writing them down, it helps me solidify my reflections and I can also refer back to them when I forget exactly what I was thinking.
- sitting quietly- Being in a meditative state can also help you with your self reflection practice. Find a calm, quiet area where you can sit and debrief.
Teacher Reflection Questions
- What was the best part of my day? Why was it the best and what can I do to feel that way more often?
- What was the most difficult part of my day? Why? How could I respond differently?
- Were my students engaged? What did I do that engaged them? How can I implement it more?
- Did I support others (coworkers, admin, students, etc) today? If yes, how? If no, what could I do tomorrow to support them?
- What do I want people to think about me? What can I do to convey those thoughts to them?
- Did I communicate well today? If yes, how and if no, what could I do differently?
- Did I set an example for my students to be respectful, work hard and have a growth mindset? What does this look like?
- Was I stressed today? What was the source of that stress and what strategies did I use to destress?
- Is there work I can I minimize and still be an amazing teacher? What does that look like and how can I accomplish it?
- Have I done something for myself today and what did I do?
Teacher Reflection Journal
Do you find yourself self reflecting all the time? Almost to the point of being overly critical to yourself? It's important to self reflect but it's a whole other thing to use it as a way to beat yourself up. When I realized that I had fallen victim to this, I decided that something needed to change so I began writing down specifics about lessons, days, etc. that would actually benefit my future teaching. That's also when I created this teacher reflection journal. It's a monthly/daily journaling tool that allows you to be extremely intentional in your reflection. Here is what's included:
- Your Why Statements– a place to refer back to on the tough days
- Monthly affirmations, positive words and important ideas page
- Monthly and Weekly goal setting
- Weekly strategy goals– a place where you can list the strategies you want to focus on
- Daily reflection pages, peaks and valleys recording page, statement of self care– a place to actually write down what you will do for yourself each day
- Weekly and monthly reflection pages
Looking for ways to limit your stress this school year? Check out my 5 tips here!