I strongly believe that educators must engage in a reflection process in order to strengthen their instructional techniques. Educators should never be stagnant in their teaching. Instead, they should be actively pursuing methods in which to improve their methods for their students’ benefit. Utilizing a reflection process is a powerful for teachers to improve their craft.
A reflection process should be individualized for each teacher in order to best support their personal growth. My reflection process begins by recording lessons. Recordings are a truthful representation of what occurs in the classroom, which may reveal aspects of instruction, classroom management, or that may not be as successful as an educator had previously expected. After rehearsal, I review the recording and create a written reflection to make note of my observations. These reflections typically include general comments/observations, ensemble observations, and conducting/rehearsal observations. Ensemble observations refer to what I am hearing from the ensemble, while conducting/rehearsal observations refer to conducting gestures and rehearsal strategies. Once a reflection has been completed, I use my observations to create informed lesson plans for future rehearsals. This process encourages active engagement in my growth as an educator, as well as my students as musicians.
Two sample rehearsal reflections are displayed below.
Example Reflection 1
Reflection-2Example Reflection 2
Reflection-1