Lesson 3.1: Elements of Effective Clinical Reflection

Content Overview: What is clinical reflection? What purposes does it serve? How do you do it? If artifacts are the gems of practice, clinical reflection can be considered their setting. It gives context to artifacts and provides insight to your teaching schemata. It is the foundation of continuous professional improvement. For these reasons, it is important to refine your thinking on teaching and to organize these thoughts in meaningful ways.

You began this reflective process when learning about NYS Teaching Standards. The APPR domain and the standard/element that you selected from among the seven Standards [1] was the result of reviewing your personal artifacts of teaching. What were your thoughts as you went through your professional files? Were you thinking of memories of classroom events? Particular students? Specific teaching moments? If so, you are off to a strong start because these are the essential and raw materials of clinical reflection. Going back to the jewelery analogy, if artifacts are the gems of your practice, your experiences are their flash, fire, and brilliance. Now you will determine your setting, your preferred reflective style.

Activity 3.1.A: Reflection in Teaching

Activity 3.1.A introduces two approaches to writing clinical reflection. Before you engage either approach, log on to your WordPress account and bring up the page containing your artifacts. As you complete the activity, don't think about teaching as a whole, think only about the artifacts you selected in Lesson 2.2. Take notes on thoughts about your work as they come to you. This will help you choose the approach that flows most naturally from your thinking. In a separate window, log on to your WordPress account now. Bring up the page containing your artifacts.

Approach 1: Beliefs/knowledge/assumptions Browse the first four sections of this online resource [2] to gain understanding of the beliefs/knowledge/assumptions approach to clinical reflection. In the section entitled, "Belief systems", complete the activity entitled "Tracing Your Individual Beliefs". Then, reflect by examining your selected artifacts through the lens of your beliefs, knowledge, and assumptions about teaching. Take notes, do not compose a full reflection.

Approach 2: Three-stage reflective learning model (Scanlon and Chernomas, 1997): When browsing this journal-based approach to clinical reflection[3], pay strict attention to the description of the three-stage model (page 1) and the questions in the section entitled "How to write a journal" (page 2). Then, reflect on your selected artifacts, using the three-stage model questions as your approach. Take notes, do not compose a full reflection.

Activity 3.1.B: Drafting Your Clinical Reflection

Activity 3.1.B will guide you to draft the first clinical reflection piece of your portfolio. Observe the notes you took as you worked in each approach to reflection. Which approach yielded the most notes with the greatest ease of thought and connecting of ideas? This is your favored reflection style.

Open and print the following document: File:Clinical Reflection Guidelines.pdf. Follow the Guidelines as you draft your clinical reflection.

Are you logged on to your artifacts page in WordPress? Now, using your notes, in your favored style, and in accordance with criteria of the five guidelines above, write a clinical reflection on your selected artifacts to demonstrate effectiveness in teaching in response to your chosen standard, element and APPR domain. Use performance indicators as your main points. Use your experience to provide supporting detail. Arrange your artifacts within the text logically and aesthetically to provide evidence.

Lesson 3.1 Self-check: Congratulations! You have designed AND developed your first page of your teaching portfolio! How did you do? Self-assess your work. Use the criteria of the five guidelines. Critique your performance in meeting each criteria as follows, using the Guidelines sheet to record your assessment.

4 points: I feel empowered by how my work achieves this criteria.

3 points: I am satisfied with my performance in meeting this criteria.

2 points: Not sure how effective my work is; I would like someone's feedback on how clearly this criteria is met.

1 point: This is definitely something I need to work on. What specific content must I revisit and review?

Total your points on the Guidelines sheet.

Next steps: 30 - 54 points: You are ready for feedback. Go to Unit 4: Feedback: the Knowledgeable Other

0 - 29 points: Based on where you assigned a low score, return to the course home page WordPress Portfolio for Teachers to review the content areas you have targeted for improvement.