Reflective...

When I read over my last post, I realized that I did not explain what collaborative means, nor did I give any resources to help you understand its meaning. So, let’s look at collaborative now.

When you become a teacher you become part of a learning community, a community that depends on each other to function smoothly like a high performance engine. When part of the engine does not function properly, it eventually breaks down somewhere. The end result in education is that students get negatively affected. When you entered this master’s program, you became part of a learning community. Your community consists of your professor and the members of your cohort as well as staff and schools you visit. All of these pieces working together collaboratively make you a fine teacher. Here is a resource for you to read: http://www.parrotpublishing.com/Inclusion_Chapter_3.htm
It explains how that high performance engine works in schools with respect to collaboration. You will learn more about this topic next fall in your Collaboration course.


Our next disposition is reflective as in reflective practice. The term was introduced by Donald Schön in his book The Reflective Practitioner in 1983. It describes a behavior used in all professions but most closely related to education or health.
Reflective practice is a continuous, self regulated process. It is a skill or a habit of mind that involves one’s own experience in applying knowledge while often being coached, assessed, or reviewed by professionals in a discipline. In education it refers to the process of the educator studying his or her own teaching methods and determining what works best for the students. When I reviewed my last post and realized that it needed more explanation, I was being reflective practitioner. Reflective practice can also help individuals to develop personally as well professionally.
Here is a resource for you to read to help you understand the term. Please read it. It does a great job at explaining reflective practice. Take this opportunity to learn how to be a better teacher and read the explanation on the following site.
http://cstl.syr.edu/cstl2/home/Teaching%20Support/Teaching%20Practice/141000.htm

Let’s look at the rubric. Read it several times.

Criteria: Reflective

Above Expectation
•continuously self –assesses and seeks constructive feedback to improve practice.
•continuously applies knowledge to practice to increase learning and skills
•committed to developing the highest educational potential of self
•assumes leadership role in solving problems creative and resourceful


Expected
Meets Standard
•engages in self-assessment and accepts constructive feedback to improve practice
•applies knowledge to practice to increase learning and skills
•engages in developing educational potential of self takes initiative in resolving problems

Needs Improvement
Below Standard
•does not engage in self-assessment and accept constructive feedback to improve practice
•does not apply knowledge to practice
•does not develop potential
•avoids seeking solutions to problems