Teacher Perceptions: The Importance of Being a Reflective Practitioner

Abstract

The chapter elucidates the necessity and importance of reflection for a teacher. A teacher can also be termed a Reflective practitioner. Teacher is a scale on which the balance of the classroom depends, having not only responsibility towards the student’s learning but also towards their complete well-being and development. Her perceptions form the centre around which the class revolves. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to ensure that these perceptions are positive and not biased. To achieve this, reflecting on one’s experiences is of great importance. Reflections are a tool to look into the beliefs existing in one’s mind. Moreover, it bridges the gap between the plan, the action, and the outcome of the action. They also help break the cyclic monotony and points towards the factors which may be the contributing reasons towards the success or failure of a particular pedagogic discourse. The author attempts to explore this intricate link between beliefs and reflections. The chapter first gives the theoretical underpinnings of reflections and beliefs, followed by the teachers’ perception. This is followed by a discussion on the link between the teachers’ perception and reflective practices, methods of reflection, and essential everyday practices which help reflect meaningfully. Types of reflection and theoretical construction of teaching practices and reflections are examined while analyzing examples from the classroom experiences. The chapter also highlights popular researches in the field, such as Rosenthal’s work which focuses on the importance of teacher beliefs in a classroom and the even greater need to analyze and sieve these beliefs to sift out the biases. Reflections, or a reflective journal, becomes a lens through which a teacher can chart her progress, the direction of her classroom discourse, and can also scan her beliefs to an extent.