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Reflection and revision are ongoing processes that shape my teaching and how I work with students on a daily basis. All lesson plans are carefully documented and receive continual notes and edits to ensure that my instruction is effective and efficient. Effective Urban Educators are Reflective Practitioners who can accurately assess themselves and develop plans for improvement. 

 

Something that didn't go as planned:

 

As a Spanish educator, I must remember that what comes easily to me now once was very toilsome. This is especially true as it relates to Spanish grammar. There have been multiple instances in which notes for a new grammar form have taken much longer than I planned due to the number of questions and amount of confusion that ensued. Previously, I was not anticipating for those questions or the confusion and therefore did not include more time in my lesson for answering questions or providing additional clarification especially for my novice low learners. Now, it takes only a few moments to change my plans and allow additional time for further clarification or explanation. For instance, if one class is struggling with an extremely challenging grammar form during the week, I am able to quickly think through my agenda for that day and simply add more time to my classroom timer to lengthen the practice & review portion of my lesson plan and shorten the time that would be spent on something else. Also, when vacation time comes around, the likelihood of students forgetting previously learned material is much higher because students usually do not practice or review at home. Again, in this case, I simply add more time to my classroom timer and lengthen the amount of time that we spend reviewing and practicing before moving on.

 

Areas in need of improvement:

 

The two areas that need most improvement are my time management skills and the effective communication of my thoughts and lessons.

 

Effective communication and clear articulation of my thoughts during lessons and activities have been the most difficult to master . As I am a hands-on learner, I have found that by writing out my lesson plans as scripts and running through them prior to my classes, I am able to better identify the transitions or instructions that might generate confusion and thus diminish the effectiveness of my class time. I have since put that "crutch" away and have improved my ability to think through my lesson plans in such a way that articulating my thoughts comes more naturally and all students are able to better understand them. I try often to remind myself that even though I know my thoughts, my students can’t read my mind. They (my students) don’t know what I want them to accomplish and it's my job to lead and guide them there. As a result, I  make my directions "bite-sized" and slow down when needed. Although I have struggled with this aspect of my teaching, I have definitely shown growth and much improvement. Practicing with my scripts and writing out my lesson plans has certainly helped me become a more effective and clear communicator.

 

Time management during classes has, at times, also been an area of difficulty for me. Because I have had previous experience teaching private lessons and small group classes, I feel more confident in my abilities to keep small groups of students on task, but not so with my larger classes. Often, I find myself so engulfed in the material, that I fail to keep track of the time. I quickly discover that class is over and not much has been accomplished. I appreciate the reminders from veteran teachers that, "practice makes perfect." Every time I reflect, make changes, or crash and burn, I learn what I need to change in order to develop better time management. Although my time is continually improving, I believe there are still ways that I can improve to be even more effective with my time in the classroom. To improve even further, I continue to use a timer during my classes to help my students and myself stay on task (and on time!) for the day.