Critical Reflection

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Central to my development in becoming an effective professional teacher “is to continue to grow in expertise” so that I have the ability to implement high-level quality and effective teaching (Churchill et al., p. 520). Furthermore, there is a need to demonstrate a high level of thinking and be able to critically reflect beliefs and supposed forms of knowledge with the understanding  of how our skills, knowledge and ideals have been constructed over time and inevitably developed into unconscious skills ( Churchill, 2019). The danger of this is that we may become complacent and not even be aware that we need to learn a new skill, hence we will not actively seek further development opportunities in our areas of need. However continued pursuits of gaining new  knowledge and having the ability to critically reflect on how to make changes particularly when our students are not motivated to learn is of critical importance since evidence into the way students learn shows that their achievement is directly related to the quality and effectiveness of a teacher  (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2018; Meierdirk, 2016).  Therefore, having an open-minded disposition to wonder and reflect may help me to notice areas of possible improvement I need and help me initiate and source it.  Such as professional development in varied contexts like, peer or team feedback, community feedback, educational resources and specific certified training. I will then be a more effective consciously skilled professional teacher able to apply my learning and knowledge toward students becoming successful learners with a strong sense of identity and well- being (Dewey as cited in Churchill, 2019). Furthermore, when the professional development is implemented in conjunction with cross referencing  The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers with the goal of achieving these standards, I can identify and be assured that any research or training I participate in reflective of them will set me up on a path toward becoming an effective teacher (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2018, Mizell, 2010). This is because they are evidence-based and explicit standards that establish what teacher quality is.

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Following are examples of how I have demonstrated meeting standards 6.1 and 6.2 by reviewing and auditing areas of the teachers standards I need to improve on;  in addition to demonstrating sources of professional learning I have done or intend to do.