Using creative methods to reflect

Producing reflections can be a creative process if we allow for more creative methods, such as Lego models.

Reflections about plagiarism

Plagiarism is a socio-cultural issue. This is about academic integrity and the reputation of an institution and the degree that is awarded. I would not want to hold an academic degree that is devalued in such way that many people were able to cheat their way through it. This is a reflective piece of writing on plagiarism and what it feels like for an academic.

Classroom management

The classroom is a place where learning happens and should be encouraged, therefore classroom management relates to the strategies a teacher can use to organise students' learning. According to Garrett (2015) classroom management can be considered in five categories: behavioural management and discipline, the layout of a classroom, rules and routines, the relevance of relationships and the importance of instruction. Good classroom management is proactive and about the students' learning.

Professional development portfolios

Many teacher training sessions and professional development courses nowadays link to or culminate in the compilation of portfolios. Portfolios are evidences and resources that are gathered and annotated systematically to provide an overview of the teachers' achievements, career events and areas for development. The process of gathering information for the portfolios is an opportunity to take a step back from everyday work to reposition yourself and reconsider your values, your development and your learning. Here is some help for developing portfolios.

How to make writing more academic

In tutorials students often tell me that they are not confident regarding their writing skills and they ask me how to make writing more academic. Every University, every faculty and even departments will have their own philosophy relating to writing, so these guidelines must be adhered to. However, I personally think that students' attempts to make writing more academic often result in less structured and weaker essays.

Which kind of teacher are you?

The result of a wide-ranging study provides an insight into the kind of teacher you may be. According to the findings there are four major types of teachers: the idealist, the moderate, the practitioner and the rationalist.

Action research or case study?

When planning for a practice-based enquiry or small-scale study you will most often be confronted with the choice between an action research or case study approach. Here is a simplified exploration to get you started.

Lesson planning – some recommendations

When observing experienced teachers in lessons or when looking at their lesson plans, the lesson planning process appears easy. However, once you start planning your first lesson you will soon realise that there are many aspects that you must take into consideration. Here are some recommendations to get you started.

Systematic reading to prepare a literature review

If you read a great range of articles you may find that you cannot remember who said what when and where. Therefore, a systematic approach to reading and taking notes is necessary. It may be helpful to apply the "CaMLISd" grid.

Writing entries in a reflective journal

Writing entries for a reflective journal is often a daunting aspect of teacher training, as we are not used to writing diaries. Here are some thoughts on how to get started with writing reflections.

Writing an action plan

How to write an action plan in order to improve teaching practice. An action plan should include targets, next steps and success criteria for it to be meaningful.

Critical incidents according to Tripp

This is a brief outline of what Tripp considers as critical incidents.

Reflective model according to Gibbs

This is a brief description of how the reflective cycle according to Gibbs works.

Reflective model according to Brookfield

This is a brief description of how Brookfield's four lenses work in reflective practice.

Reflective model according to Kolb

This is a brief description of Kolb's reflective model.

Reflective model according to Rolfe et al.

This is a description of how Rolfe's model of reflection should be used in order to improve practice and learning.