Reflection is essential to one's development as a teacher. Therefore, you are asked to reflect critically on what you have learned about teaching, what you have learned about yourself as a teacher, and how you have developed through the overall experience. Reflecting on your actions and learning activities will provide insight to your strengths, weaknesses, and future directions as a teacher. Writing a reflection on your teaching development can also be the basis for documents used later in an academic job search or the faculty review process.
The reflection should include discussion of the following points:
- A description of your overall development as a teacher during your time in the program.
- Examples from some of the workshops you attended, pointing to lessons or ideas that have changed the way you think about teaching and/or learning.
- Examples of the teaching experience you had, focusing on how you applied lessons learned in the program.
- Personal learning goals for the future based on how you have grown through the program and where you are now in your teaching development.
Questions for Reflection
To stimulate your thinking, you might consider some of the following questions as you reflect on your development:
- Where were you in your thinking about teaching when you began?
- What did you know, believe, or assume about how students learn when you began?
- How does your reflection demonstrate what you have learned and believe about teaching?
- How has your understanding of teaching and/or student learning changed?
- What lessons will stay with you from the workshops you attended? How have they informed your views about teaching/learning? Your choices as a teacher?
- What actions may you take next considering your learning to continue to develop as a teacher?
You can submit your reflection here, or email it to CTL@colorado.edu.