Assessment of Classroom Instruction 6. Reflect on Results

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Journal of Reflective Activity

Keeping a journal can be a cathartic experience. Plus, it's a great way to record what you've done, why you did it, and what the results were. Here are some questions to consider if you choose to begin recording your teaching experiences:

• Will you use a computer or an ordinary notebook?
• Will you organize your writing or will you just free write your thoughts and rearrange them later?
• Who is your audience: yourself, a peer, or a group of people?
• What will you focus your writing on: a particular lesson, a technique or method, a theory, a question posed, or some other aspect?
• How regularly will you write: after each lesson, once a day, or once a week?
• How regularly will you review what you have written: every one, two, or three weeks?

Once you have identified how your journal will work, take a moment to think about what you'll write about. Here is a sample list to choose from:

1. Approaches to and methods of teaching
2. Evaluations of their teaching
3. Theories of teaching
4. Self-awareness as a teacher
5. Questions about teaching

Source: Farrell, T.S.C. (2004) Reflective Practice in Action: 80 Reflection Breaks for Busy Teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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