Farris & Anson's chapter 16 and Janice Lauer's chapter 3

     Farris and Anson's chapter 16 by Kathleen Blake Yancey dealt primarily with reflection and how it can improve instruction. When looked at through the lens of a college professor, the amount of reflection Yancey speaks of sounds like it could be doable. But looking at it as a high school teacher who can see well over one hundred students on a daily basis, it seems impossible.

     There is always a level of reflection after a class and it is never the same for each class. The students in each class create variety in instruction and game planning. The one element that can't be prepped for is how the students will be on a given day. I have a colleague who prays that she gets observed during 5th period because that is her "good" class and not during her "bad" 8th period. A student who likes to cause trouble will view a supervisor observing his teacher as a challenge to be difficult.

     I turn to talk of observations because I want to discuss how reflection has become part of teacher evaluations, and not something a teacher does to improve. In my district, we have Charlotte Danielson to thank for this. Her Framework for Teaching has been adopted by many districts in New Jersey, and has really turned how teachers reflect on their lessons into a chore.

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     As you can see above, Danielson has created four domains that teachers must focus on. Reflection is a big part of each domain, and requires artifacts (the term for evidence) in order to be properly evaluated. When a teacher gets observed, there are forms that have to be filled out on a website that tracks everything. One form is all about what you plan on teaching and accommodations you've made. Another form is where you reflect after the lesson. It's nice in theory, but the fact that it is part of the evaluation has driven teachers to see it as a chore. This, in turn, makes reflection a chore and teachers then dislike doing it.

     Educators have to be willing to reflect on their experiences in an attempt to become better. Think about why most students don't enjoy doing homework. They don't see it as beneficial practice that improves skills. Instead, it's a punishment and something to be avoided whenever possible, even though it's necessary.

Teachers line up to provide artifacts.
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