Teaching is a wonderful profession that entails a great deal of responsibility and commitment to pupils. Teachers not only educate and convey knowledge, but they also inspire and urge students to pursue their dreams and take significant milestones in their lives. They continue to try to instill confidence in pupils and guide them in the right direction. There were many professors who committed their entire lives to empower their pupils and make them better and more successful human beings. From this job, teachers must explore the power of reflection in teaching. John Dewey said, " We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” An adage that may be used not only to our personal development, but also to the improvement of job and professionalism. Our actions are based on how we realized our self-reflection and the experiences we've had throughout the years, as well as the endless information and lessons we've learned.
But, for teachers out there, the most crucial issue is, why do we really need to reflect? What is the point of doing reflections? These significant insights brought about by our reflection in teaching turn into useful learnings that can affect our judgments and behaviors. Similarly, in the classroom, we frequently use formative examinations to assess our students' learning. But, as a teacher, have we ever taken a moment to pause and think on how we do our job personally and professionally?
Thus, one of the most important things for a teacher to analyze his or her strengths and correct his or her deficiencies is to engage in reflection in the classroom. Reflective practice in teaching also assists instructors in gathering, documenting, and examining their classroom practices to alter or improve them to better meet the requirements of their students. Reflection also helps teachers develop good judgment and become better decision makers. Reflection makes learning more meaningful for pupils by allowing them to form a personal link with the topic at hand and understand how it fits into a wider picture.
Furthermore, through reflecting, teachers may analyze where they are in respect of their instructional practices and what areas in teaching, they should enhance to uplift level of teaching and learning. In fact, reflection is one of the prerequisites for public-school teachers in the Philippines to complete the yearly performance evaluation system to assure good professional growth, offer linkages, and examine performances.
Every teacher should make reflections a habit; this will help them build self-awareness, keep track of their development, better understand the needs of their students, and work with direction. As a result, maintaining and continuing to cultivate a culture of reflection in education is essential.