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Reflection 450

Reflective Teaching
HD 450
Maura Maldonado
Pacific Oaks College

Reflection 450

Reflective Teaching HD 450


At the beginning of the semester I was unsure what reflective teaching meant. In its most
simple definition I felt that it meant we were going to dig deeper into the role of teaching. What
I discovered is that reflective teaching is a term that means something much deeper, it is not just
about teaching but how we teach, our role as a teacher. As an early education teacher I believe I
have been a reflective teacher, but not until now do I understand the importance of reflective
teaching or the why a teacher should be reflective. Being reflective is an important concept to
discover as a person who functions in society, presenting the best of who I am to everyone.
Digging deeper into reflective teaching has definitely impacted me. Teaching is not only
about what I know, but my willingness to learn from others. As the needs of the children I teach
change daily I reflect on how I am going to meet these needs. I am constantly learning from the
children I teach as well as the staff members I share my experiences and concerns with. At the
beginning of the semester I wondered how to use my experiences to nurture and learn from what
is happening now. I now realize that if I am open to learning from others I will naturally take
and extend these learning opportunities to their fullest because of my desire to learn and teach
what I have learned. Refining who I am as a teacher and as a person, the willingness to improve
who I am and offering the best of who I am to the children I teach and their families is reflective
teaching. An important technique I have discovered that I will put into practice is the
understanding that working on myself and transforming who I am into the best me I can be
will benefit the lives of the children and families I work with.

Reflection 450

In class we watched the video, Pedro Noguera: Challenging Racial Disparities in School
Discipline, this video impacted me greatly. Through research-based strategies Pedro Noguera
stresses that schools can become safe, equitable, and places where students thrive. My first
reaction to this statement, of course why not? But the reality of this statement even being made
reminds me that many of our schools have become the opposite of these desired traits. Im not
sure why this has happened. I believe a combination of issues, societies value system, family
structure, racial attitudes and too much or too little discipline have affected our teachers,
institutions and especially our children.
Through conversations with my classmates we came to the agreement that there are lot of
suggestions by adults and educators but we never hear how these suggestions should be carried
out. As the older one in the classroom and many years of experience observing the changes in
our children, families and societal attitudes I suggested that the importance of values need to be
brought back and taught in our curriculums. My classmates felt that teachers need to hold
themselves accountable for modeling and teaching values like character, respect and integrity.
Forming relationships with the children we teach and their families will support and transform
behaviors. Asking ourselves, what have we done for the child? How has my teaching or teaching
style affected this child? Are examples of reflective- teaching.
As I reflect on HD 450 I enjoyed the sharing of Maya Angelous thoughts on education
and being reflective. The powerful statement of, Be a rainbow in someone elses cloud is an
example of reflective teaching or being reflective about life in general. Presenting the best me
I can be whether it is to the world or the children I teach is least I can do. Working on achieving

to be the best I can be is something I can work on throughout my life. Allowing myself to learn
from what I have done and the willingness to change and grow from what I have learned is
allowing myself to be a blessing in the lives of others.

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