The Teacher Down the Hall: Who Has Time for Reflection? Spoiler Alert—You Do

The beginning of the new year, or rather a new semester, coupled with our return from winter break, generally marks a period of rejuvenation. However, as documented by education researcher Ellen Moir, educators’ attitudes vary based on the time of year. And, in January, many may find themselves in a phase of disillusionment.

While these phases were originally meant to describe the attitudes of early-career educators, one could argue they apply to veteran educators as well. Numerous circumstances can cause veteran educators to feel like their early-career counterparts. It could be additional challenges within our personal life, new district initiatives or curriculum, or increasingly challenging student behavior that manages to leave us stuck or disillusioned with our position. So how can we move from disillusionment to rejuvenation? Reflection could be the answer.

The Power of Reflection

Reflection isn’t merely a task but a practice essential for growth. Reflecting can provide clarity on what is working and what is not, as well as help us reconnect to our authentic self. How we reflect and how often we do so are critical in helping us move forward. Most of us are familiar with psychologist Carol Dweck’s work and the benefits of a growth mindset. After all, we attempt to instill in our students that productive struggle and failure are part of the path toward success. It is in the practice of reflecting on our own strengths and positive outcomes that we can begin to cultivate resiliency.

Reflection helps us identify patterns and opportunities for growth that are otherwise easily overlooked. I do not want to oversimplify the act of reflection, but incorporating a daily reflection routine can be a simple way to start a more reflective practice. One such routine is the “Rose, Thorn, and Bud” reflection. The roses, or flowers, are the positive outcomes; the thorns are the sticking points that are a challenge; and the bud is the opportunity for new growth. Identifying these “buds” allow us to refine our teaching and student learning.

Obstacles Into Opportunities

Imagine that I identify a “thorn,” such as a lack of student engagement in the current content. My “bud” could be that I can increase student engagement and I want to attempt to do so with the subsequent lesson. I can then identify one engagement strategy to attempt to work toward a solution. In the instance that you encounter a “thorn,” or problem, and have exhausted your own solutions, this offers an opportunity to invite a partner to reflect and explore further solutions.

By incorporating a daily reflection routine, we are documenting not only our successes but also our intention to find resolutions. In documenting our intention, we think through the process or plan and are therefore more likely to implement our intention. This metacognitive process of reflection can lead us to even deeper reflection and understanding. In a profession as impactful as teaching, we can’t afford not to take the time to reflect. The process of reflection is how we turn obstacles into opportunities and better serve our students and ourselves. So I urge you to carve out the time, no matter how small, and trust that the time you invest in reflection will be time well spent. 

Join the conversation in our Toolbox forum within the ATPE Online Community, where you can access reflective questions, strategies, and resources related to the article.