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School of Mathematics and Science DEIB Inclusive Curriculum: Reflect on Your Practices

A project of the School of Math and Science (SOMS) DEIB Inclusive Curriculum subcommittee (Barbara Leitherer, Cristina Cardona, Cristina Voisei, Christine Dubowy, Zafar Waqar) with SOMS DEIB co-chairs Mike Hands and Mary Watkins and librarian Jill Burke.

Reflective Teaching

Reflective teaching is a process where teachers think over their teaching practices. It is important to self-analyze and scrutinize your teaching methods to self-improve the learning outcomes for the students. The Reflective Teaching Guide from UC Berkeley suggests four common strategies:

1. The autobiographical. What do I see as the successes and challenges of the course? What went well, and what could be improved for next time? ...

2. The students’ eyes. What do students have to say about what enhanced their learning and what hindered their learning? What recommendations do students have to help improve the course for next time?

3. Our colleagues’ experiences. What do my colleagues have to say about what went well for them this semester? What was challenging? ...

4. Theoretical literature What are evidence-based strategies for supporting student learning? What does the research have to say about how students learn best in similar courses?

More examples of how to reflect on your teaching:

· Exit slips

· Survey

· Keep a reflective journal

· Videotape your teaching 

Additional Reference:

How to become a reflective teacher: The complete guide 

Example survey - feedback from students

Reflective Teaching Video

Evaluations

Use the comments made by students on the evaluations completed at the end of the semester. Create a T-Chart naming the columns Celebrate and Improve and make notes of any consistent feedback in the columns. Revisit the T-Chart when planning your lessons to improve the quality of your class.