What does it mean to be REFLECTIVE?

What does it mean to be reflective? Truly reflective!

Being a reflective educator is critical for growth and essential to being an effective teacher or educator. Reflective teaching is an ongoing process. A process where an educator thinks about his or her practice, what works, what does not work, and how might instruction be improved or changed. It is not always easy, but it is so worth it!

At a recent Leadership Florida institute in St. Petersburg, I was reminded of data that was shared with the Florida Teacher Fellowship during our institute in Tallahassee. The New Teacher Project (TNTP) conducted research regarding teachers’ understanding of the standards, shifts in standards, and designing student work aligned to the standards. The results were astonishing! Only 7% of Florida Teachers made instructional changes required by Florida State Standard. 

From TNTP

Only 36% of assignments indicated alignment to the standards. While 64% of Florida students met expectations of assignments, only 27% of Florida students met the expectations of the standards. 

From TNTP

From TNTP

A typical task for third-grade students.

What the task actually looks like on an FSA Practice

This information led me to my own reflection on my understanding and implementation of Florida’s Standards. Do I really understand the standards? Do the tasks I plan for my students align to the standards? Upon returning to school and my classroom, I quickly analyzed an assignment my fourth-grade team and I designed for our students to meet ELA standard 4.RI.2.6 (Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided). As expected, the task did not meet the depth of the standard. Part of being reflective is being honest and vulnerable; one must be open to the truth, no matter how it may hurt. I was not teaching to the depth of the standard. That realization hurt. 

I immediately gathered my team and shared this revelation. We gathered our tools (Florida Standards packet, Teacher's Tool Box, Item Specs) and unpacked that particular standard.  The task we designed just scratched the surface of the standard, it did not align to the depth of that standard.  From that day on (and currently), we take the time to study the standards, unpack them, study the toolbox, and now we are actually planning meaningful, engaging tasks that align to the depth of the standard. Yes, the process takes time, but our focus is on the students. The evidence that this process works is in the progress of our students! The engaging academic talk and the depth of understanding are amazing!  

This practice of reflecting on the data also led to an action research project I am currently working on. What would happen if teachers participated in job-embedded, practice-focused professional development unpacking ELA standards translating them into practice to the depth of the standards?  

According to Terry Heick (author of What it Means To Be a Reflective Teacher) states that reflective teaching is a self-awareness with humility.  It is timing, sequence, and procedure. Reflecting on your practice can be beneficial as it can result in a plethora of strategies, tools, knowledge, and most importantly, improved practice.