To me, being a reflective teacher that demonstrates withitness is something that takes continuous effort. I believe that these skills have the opportunity grow over time with experience as I will have more to reflect upon and use for growth with each new experience. However, to continue this growth I must strive to practice reflective thinking not just as I reflect on a lesson I have taught and what I will change for next time but also how I will adapt future lessons to fit my class better based on the reflections I have on experiences with that group of students. Reflection is both upon my lesson’s base designs and how I adapt them to fit the needs of my individual students and unique classes. I believe that the longer you have student’s the more you come to know their strengths and weaknesses which allows you to build better instruction, differentiating more elegantly. Being a reflective teacher is not just practiced after lessons but also as they are happening, demonstrating withitness allowing the reflective teacher to adapt in the moment. “Reflective teachers actively monitor group activities and independent seat work, looking for signs that students need clarification of the task or the teacher’s expectations” (Eby, Herrell, & Jordan, 2011, p.6) Ultimately, to me demonstrating a strong withitness skill and being a reflective teacher means observing the students as they learn and grow, knowing your instructional surroundings and being flexible enough to adapt to changes as they arise.

References

Eby, J., Herrell, A., & Jordan, M. (2011). Teaching in k-12 schools:  A reflective action approach (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River,  NJ: Pearson Education Inc.