After 15 years of teaching, I continue to learn to improve my practice. Brookfield’s core assumption that "skillful teachers adopt a critically reflective stance toward their practice" (Brookfield, 2015, p. 15) provides a solid foundation for refining the teaching approach. This assumption emphasizes that teaching is dynamic, requiring ongoing self-examination and openness to change.
Critical reflection encourages teachers to reevaluate their teaching methods, beliefs, and assumptions. It involves questioning why we do what we do, considering how our decisions impact students and constantly striving to improve.
Apart from Brookfield, other researchers support the necessity of critical thinking for educators. Barbara Larrivee in her article Transforming Teaching Practice: Becoming the Critically Reflective Teacher (2000), highlights how integrating reflective practices leads to improved teaching strategies. Teachers who reflect critically become more aware of their teaching choices and their effect on learning.
Similarly, Shandomo (2010) discusses how critical reflection supports teachers, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, in developing culturally responsive teaching methods. Reflective practices can empower teachers to connect more deeply with their students, creating an inclusive and responsive classroom environment.
As Brookfield notes in his interview with the Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching (2019), critical thinking and reflection are essential for examining complex issues such as racial identity and educational power dynamics. This approach challenges teachers to think more deeply about their role in fostering democratic participation and justice in the classroom.
This practice needs further research and reflection from me as I am willing to adopt this approach, which is essential to growing as an educator and enhancing my impact on students.
References:
Brookfield, S. D., Rudolph, J., & Yeo, E. (2019). The power of critical thinking in learning and teaching. An interview with Professor Stephen D. Brookfield. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 2(2), 76-90.
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. John Wiley & Sons.
Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective practice, 1(3), 293-307.
Shandomo, H. M. (2010). The role of critical reflection in teacher education. School-University Partnerships, 4(1), 101-113.
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