Characteristics of a Reflective Teacher

I had meant to shift my focus this week from teacher to student reflection, but I feel like I have more to…well, reflect on, as a teacher.

Thinking back to whenever I was asked to reflect during my teacher education courses or during professional development workshops, I realize that even the mere thought of ‘reflection’ as a practice immediately made me uneasy. I didn’t quite understand why. Perhaps I thought that reflection would lead to discovering things about myself that I didn’t like, or it would uncover insecurities or mistakes I might have made that I felt embarrassed about (I never particularly enjoyed making mistakes – I didn’t realize the value of making mistakes until I started teaching my students that it’s okay to make mistakes!)

It seems that reflection’ has become a buzz word in the teaching practices of the 21st century. The Merriam-Webster definition for reflection (as it pertains to teaching and learning) is:

reflection: (n.) 1. a thought, idea, or opinion formed or a remark made as a result of meditation; 2. consideration of some subject matter, idea, or purpose

Reflection has become part and parcel of teaching. When I think of the attributes of a reflective teacher, I think of open-minded, tolerant, empathetic, pensive, and analytical. Can you think of more?

What are some other characteristics of a reflective educator?

References:

Reflection. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2018, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reflection.