Reflecting on Teaching (TESS 4a) + Middle Level Assessment and

Data-informed Instruction (AMLE Standard 4, Element C)

One of the most important aspects of being a

teacher is having your students reflect. However,
there is one aspect that is even more important, and
that is reflecting on your teaching as a teacher. To
the left is an example of a practice that I employed
to help me with my teaching. I would outline a plan
that I would use in teaching my students, give
myself goals that were connected to that plan and
then remind myself at the end of the day when I
have some time alone or I can find a quiet space to
reflect on what worked in the lesson and what did
not. By doing this I end up giving myself the time
necessary for me to examine the different aspects of
my lesson that helped my students grow as well as
reflecting on things to do in the next lesson. For
instance the two blotted out areas are the names of
students that were causing a disruption in the class.
I noticed this in class, but without reflecting on the
actions that they were doing in class I would have
completely forgotten about the event and let the misbehavior continue. Through writing down
the problems that I had in the lesson, I solidified their presence in my mind and ensured that I
would act upon them later. It was through this that I realized that I was proficiently reflecting on
my teaching and adjusting that teaching to create a better classroom environment for my
students.

In associating this with an AMLE standard I find that it best fits with the Standard 4
Element C which states in AMLE’s 2012 standards that “middle level teacher candidates develop
and administer assessments and use them as formative and summative tools to create meaningful
learning experiences by… reflecting on young adolescent learning, and adjusting instruction
based on the knowledge gained.” By examining my lessons in this manner, I am in fact reflecting
on the way my students learn and then adjusting my lessons based on the ways that their learning
is reflected in the way they act in class as well as the way I teach affects their learning
capabilities.