I think this standard wants me to recognize the significant role self-reflection plays in

personal and professional growth. As teachers, it is important to reflect on how each lesson

addresses student interest and motivation as well as improves student understanding.

Additionally, this standard wants me to recognize the importance of research and resources, such

as conferences or institute days, available to build professional development. By growing

professionally, the articulation and organization of presented lessons will most likely better

address individual students’ needs and in turn positively influence student learning. Therefore,

not only can self-reflection build personal and professional growth, but it can also help

instruction become more effective based on students’ changing, diverse needs.

The artifact I chose for this standard is a post-lesson reflection considering student

interest, student motivation, teacher knowledge, teacher organization, teacher articulation, and

student understanding. These categories mirror the importance of using “classroom observation,

information about students, pedagogical knowledge, and research as sources for active reflection,

evaluation, and revision of practice.” By reflecting on each of these lesson components, a teacher

can make accommodations to increase the future effectiveness of a lesson. Using a post-lesson

reflection provides evidence for possible lesson accommodations. This artifact is simply one

example of a method of inquiry “that provides for a variety of self-assessment and problem-

solving strategies for reflecting on practice.”

Using this post-lesson reflection in practice has given me the opportunity to not only

consider student interest and understanding surrounding a particular lesson, but it also has

encouraged me to reflect on personal articulation, knowledge, and organization surrounding a

subject area. This specific post-lesson reflection helped me realize the further necessity for

differentiation and modeling. In the future, I will incorporate more modeling into lessons,
especially with younger children. Additionally, I will make more manipulatives available to

students depending on individual needs. For example, in this case, I should have realized one of

the students was struggling with overall understanding due to a fixation on how to write his

numbers. Possible accommodations include simply providing this student with magnetic

numbers to represent how many coins are in his hand rather than concern him with writing the

numbers down. Since this child became fixated on how to write the number ‘5,’ he did not

successfully achieve the lesson’s intended goals. Therefore, not only will this post-lesson

reflection improve my instruction in the future, but I also now know how to reflect on different

lesson components, helping to continually evaluate my choices and instruction.

By reflecting on this particular math lesson, where multiple students did not understand

the goal of the lesson, I feel more prepared to teach and learn in a diverse society. ‘Diverse’ can

be defined in multiple ways. For one, it can be interpreted as an ethnically and racially diverse

environment. However, it can also be interpreted as an academically diverse environment,

including ELL students, students with special needs, average students, and gifted students. It is

important for me to understand how to successfully differentiate instruction to address all

students’ individual needs. Self-reflection after lessons will help to evaluate how the lesson

affected students and if accommodations are necessary for next time. This will prepare me as a

prospective teacher in the best way to educate a diverse group of students. I look forward to

using this knowledge in my future and am confident that my future experiences will furthermore

build upon these understandings as well.