Q: What is the one most important thing I should do if I want to prepare my child to potentially work at Google some day?
A: Reflect each day on what you have learned. Also, reflect on what you did wrong today and how that can change tomorrow.
Notice that the answer said nothing about making sure you get into the right college, taking the right courses in school, or making the right connections. The ability to complete meaningful reflection and apply that reflection to work is the key.
How much time to you spend on professional reflection? What are your methods? How are your reflections applied for the future?
What about within your classroom? Do you build in time for meaningful reflection? Do you encourage students to learn and apply these findings? Or does reflection get set aside as an "extra' when there is not enough time?
It seems to me that reflection should be a main course of learning. As I work with teachers and schools, it also appears that reflection is an afterthought rather an essential part of the learning process.
My challenge to all of us (myself included!) it to actively and consistently embrace the process of reflection for the benefit of our own professional life as well as for our students. What step will you take today to do that better than ever before?
I don't remember if this was an earlier link of yours http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/02/09/a-warning-to-college-profs-from-a-high-school-teacher/. Also goes into the idea that as teachers, for various reasons, we do not always do the best to develop critical thinkers. Developing reflection as part of classes, I think, would help develop in students that critical thinking as well.
ReplyDeleteFor myself, I think I need to focus on reflecting on how my students reacted to a lesson and if they are actively contributing and developing a deep (as opposed to shallow) understanding.