Reflecting on your first class

Once you have delivered your first class, reflection can be the initial step to improvement. How did it go?

Good teachers continually reflect on their teaching. "Reflection is a deliberate and conscientious process that employs a person’s cognitive, emotional and somatic capacities to mindfully contemplate on past, present or future (intended or planned) actions in order to learn, better understand and potentially improve future actions" (Harvey, Coulson, & McMaugh, 2016, p. 9). To put simply, it is the process of "deliberately thinking about action with a view to its improvement" (Hatton & Smith, 1995, p. 34).

This doesn't have to be extensive, and it can take a number of forms. Brookfield (1995) suggests:

  1. using our autobiographical approach to reflection as learners and teachers (our personal reflection on, during, or for practice);
  2. using our students’ eyes. Student feedback can be formal (evaluations or surveys) or informal (discussions, short written reflections);
  3. using our colleagues’ experiences. This can be both formal - peer observation and review; or informal - discussion or short written reflections; and
  4. using theoretical literature. What does the research say about the issue you are reflecting on?

It is really helpful to keep a record that you can refer to as you plan for your next class - or plan for (another) first class. Consider the questions listed below.

  • Is there anything you need to follow up on before the next class?
  • Is there anything you need to plan to include in the next class?
  • If you conducted the same class again, what would you change?
  • Did the icebreaker work how you wanted it to?
  • Were content or activities appropriate? For example, could you provide more content/activity online for a more flexible learning experience?
  • Was the order in which you introduced the content appropriate?
  • Did the classroom work? For example, moving furniture to facilitate more discussion in a face-to-face class?
  • Did you achieve all your objectives and get through all the necessary material?
  • What went well?
  • What did you enjoy, and what did the students seem to enjoy?
  • What could be improved for next time?