Running head: REFLECTIVE PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION

Reflective Planning and Instruction

Meaghan Comstock
Dr. Cheryl Gould
Regent University
17 April 2015

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field ePortfolio Spring 2015

REFLECTIVE PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT

Introduction
In this competency I have included two artifacts that represent reflective planning
and instruction in my placements. This is a very important competency because reflecting
upon ones planning and instruction is the only way to improve ones abilities.
Rationale for Selection of Artifacts
For my first artifact, I chose to include a page from my teaching journal. I chose
this because it shows how I have reflected on my instruction. As I have continued on
through student teaching, I have found that reflecting on my planning and instruction is
the key to seeing any improvement in my skills a developing teacher. Journaling after
each day gave me the ability to reflect on the parts of my lessons that I would forget if I
hadnt written them down. Keeping a journal allowed me to reflect on my strengths and
weaknesses as a student teacher. Being honest was the only way to learn anything, and
after a lesson that didnt go as planned it was helpful to go back and write about what
could have been done better. Writing about my strengths was not as easy as I thought it
was going to be, but it helped my self-confidence to reflect on my growth and the things
that I did that were good.

The second artifact that I chose to include in this competency was a lesson plan
outline that has the anecdotal notes that I took when I was planning one of my math
lessons. It took a lot of time and thought to plan an effective lesson, and there were a lot
of times that my cooperating teachers and I would go back and think of new ways that we
could present a topic. I chose to include this math lesson as an artifact because it showed

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio Spring 2015

REFLECTIVE PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT

how I had to reflect on my planning, and by working with my teacher we created a great
lesson.
Reflection on Theory and Practice
Reflective planning and instruction was one of the most important learning
experiences that I had while I was student teaching. Reflection is a huge part of our walk
with Christ, and because of that reflection should absolutely be a huge part of our
instruction and planning. When I think about something that has happened to me or
around me and reflect on it in my devotional time with Jesus, I think about what could
have been done differently whether by myself or by someone else, I think about what
would have made that situation better, and I also think about what that situation has
taught me and what I will do differently if a situation like that ever comes up again. That
is also what I do when I journal about a lesson that I have taught, or when I reflect on my
planning for a lesson. This competency is almost entirely faith based and faith guided
because we use the same methods that we would in devotional time with God, and I
believe that that is what makes this competency beautiful. It makes us think about how
we can be better, not for ourselves, but for our students. Just like we do when we have
devotions with God, we are not reflecting to better ourselves just to do it; we are
reflecting so that we can become better stewards and servants for our Father. I believe
that reflective planning and instruction is one of the keys to becoming and remaining an
effective teacher, it keeps us grounded, honest, and open to improvements so we can be
better educators

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio Spring 2015