Engaging
students in reflective practice can be a challenge as many do not regard this
as important or relevant to their practice in ‘real life’. On our PG cert equivalent*, I work with early
academics on developing their teaching philosophy and teaching portfolio. They
regard this as a mammoth task and it is one that creates, for many, a mental
block. The overall programme itself is
very reflective and so this activity is hugely useful in engaging students in
reflective practice.
In order to get
the students thinking and reflecting on their teaching philosophy, I endeavor
to make it as enjoyable and relevant as I can.
I take students further out of their comfort zone by inviting them to
develop an artefact which illustrates their reflections on their teaching
philosophy. I provide students with a
variety of crafting materials (colours, newspapers, magazines, ribbon, felt,
glue, flipchart, etc) to work with and, to date, the artefacts developed have
included 3D models, mosaics, posters and
masks. All students then give a short
presentation on their artifact which provides them with the opportunity to
articulate their teaching philosophy through a novel lens.
This activity
works very well in assisting students with the development of their teaching philosophy
and their stance on teaching – how it has evolved, how it is present and how
they may develop it in the future. Many
students include evidence of this exercise in their draft portfolio and it
really kick starts their engagement in reflective practice, both in and beyond
the classroom, within their roles as academics.
‘This exercise reverberated long after the
teaching session. It really allowed me to look at key micro and macro elements
of my teaching philosophy and approach but from a novel and unique perspective’
(Student feedback, 2014)
In this short
presentation slot, I will give an overview of the activity, the outcomes and
the application of same. Participants
will be asked to discuss how they might use this activity to illustrate their role
in engaging their students wherever they
are in a round table with other participants.