Reflection is a process of self-examination and self-evaluation that effective educators regularly engage in to improve their professional practices.

Essentially, effective educators do four things:

• They think carefully about what is taking place in a given situation.
• They identify the options available.
• They consider their own values as professionals and their comfort level in acting on those values.
• They make conscious choices about how to act to make a difference.

In short, effective educators are reflective: They carefully examine their own and others' practices in order to strengthen the quality and the effectiveness of their work.

Why become a reflective educator?

John Dewey maintained that reflection is an important aspect of learning from experience. He wrote in Experience and Education (New York: Macmillan, 1938) that reflective thinking leads educators to act in a "deliberate and intentional fashion" rather than in a "blind and impulsive" manner.

Dewey stressed the importance of reflecting on practices and integrating observations into emerging theories of teaching and learning. He believed that this helps educators become both the producers and consumers of knowledge about educational practices.

Based on Dewey's ideas, Donald Schon refers to educators who are engaged in a developmental process as "reflective practitioners." In his book, Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions (San Francisco: Jossey–Bass, 1987), Schon explains that reflective practitioners use the knowledge they gain through continual inquiry and analysis to refine instruction.

Educators must continually study their practices if they are to grow. They need to concentrate on developing those practices that help them deliver their best work.

How do I get started?

"It's never too early to learn to become a reflective teacher," writes Peter Frank in his article, "Mission Possible: Becoming a Reflective Teacher" (1999). Teachers should start by writing a mission statement. Then, Frank writes, they can develop a plan of action, maintain and monitor the plan, and evaluate the plan.

Develop a mission statement and action plan — In writing a personal mission statement, educators determine where they are going. The mission statement, Frank points out, should be based on prior knowledge and experience. Educators can then set long– and short–term goals, and assign realistic time frames to complete the tasks.

Maintain and monitor the plan — To do this, educators must ask themselves: How are you doing and what do you need to readjust? How should you proceed to reach your goals? What information do you need and who has the experience to assist you?

Frank, who teaches 8th grade math at Blackstock Junior High School in Oxnard, Calif., also recommends that teachers monitor themselves and their students: Are they excited and involved? Are you guiding them, offering them the chance for personal success?

Evaluate the plan — As the school year progresses, educators should analyze how well they're doing. Could they expect more of their students or themselves? What could they change or make different?

Read More About It

Click here to review a sample lesson of The Reflective Educator, an ASCD PD Online course.

Other Resources on Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

• "Teacher, Improve Thyself: A Call for Self-Reliant, Reflective Practitioners," by C. Bunting, Classroom Leadership Online, Vol. 2, No. 9, August 1999.

• "How Principals Can Build Self-Renewing Schools," by U. C. Reitzug and L. C. Burrello, Educational Leadership, Vol. 52, No. 7, April 1995, pp. 48-50.

• "Mission Possible: Becoming a Reflective Teacher," by P. Frank, Catalyst, Issue No. 8, Fall 1999, p. 1.