Act of Teaching Chapter 14, Reflective skills of Effective Teachers begins by

explaining the definition of reflection. Reflection is the ongoing process of critically

examining teaching practice by considering the personal, educational, social and

ethical aspect of teaching and schooling. The lesson is divided into three: qualities

of a reflective practitioner, benefits of reflecting on teaching and Developing

reflective teaching.

To begin with, qualities of reflective teachers has been enumerated into three.

However I want to focus on one quality that I am interested the most. A reflective

teacher needs to be open minded. On the previous chapter, Problem Solving Skills

of an Effective Teacher, it says that there is always a problem in the classroom.

There is a rejection and denial of accountability if the teacher is not open minded in

handling the problems. Being open minded includes the acceptance to criticism of

others and ask questions and evaluation of their style from the other people. Open

mindedness allow teachers to be brave in accepting negative comments and not

hesitant to change their weak ideas and perspective for improvement.

Next, being a reflective teacher gives you a way to make the wrong things you

have done today be corrected for the future. One of the benefits you could have for

this is the enhancement of your classroom life. I believe Jesus as a teacher is a

reflective one. Even to the last supper He had with His disciple, he had reflected all

the service He had for three years by washing off the feet of His disciple and

partaking the bread and wine for the Holy communion. For me it is a reflective

teaching because He had shown to His disciple what He can do as a savior. He

started showing to them that despite of His Kingship, He is willing to be a sacrifice of

the mans sin because of His great love for them. And to see the result, his 11
disciples become successful in their service. The mini-class he had created while he is

alive have done a great impact in christian history.

Finally, reflective thinking needs to be develop from time to time. This is why

evaluation is important at the end of the day. The general and common format of

lesson plan encourage teachers to have assessment/evaluation at the end of the

planning. It is a way of being a reflective teacher. Assessing yourself and how the

class went improves you as a thoughtful teacher. It allows you to think of other ways

and strategies in handling the class. Lesson plan may just be a skeleton but as well as

a foundation in reflective teaching. It is your record of what you did, you do and you

will be doing.