One might assume that educators teaching for a long time know a lot, and they do to an extent. I’d say new educators also know a lot and are learning to trust that they do. It’s important to remember that as lifelong learners, there is always something new. I always say, “You learn something new each day,” and that has been true for me since day 1. It could be about you as an individual, your practice or even about a learner. You just have to be open to it and take the time to reflect.
I remember being in the faculty of education and thinking that I despised the word ‘reflection’ after hearing and practicing it so many times throughout the year. What I would soon realize, as a new educator, is how central reflection would be in my professional learning journey. Taking the time to reflect has helped me to understand my teaching practice better and the choices, approaches and strategies I implement in relation to the learners in class.
One thing I have learned since the faculty is that self-reflection is important, but having a reflective, critical partner is needed even more. We so often as educators get into our silos or islands, even though we have a wealth of the school community around us. Sometimes we forget that our lived experiences bring in different perspectives and insight, and that includes from learners, too.
We all need that critical friend. It’s vital to our growth and areas of growth as individuals and professionals.
It’s great to have a few mentors who can be that critical friend. That the co-critical friend can be someone who is new to teaching, too. My dear friend and I met in faculty together and shared our highs, lows and wonderings as new educators. We navigated beginning educator life together.
When writing this blog and thinking about resources about critical thinking partners, I referred to the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, which has references to the non-profit organization, The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC²), and speaking of reflections and learning something new, here is some insight I have learned.
- There are different thinking habits and critically minded and relationally are the two that stood out.
As defined by TC²:
| Critically minded | The practice of engaging with information, perspectives, and experiences through reasoned analysis, questioning assumptions, and assessing evidence with clarity and care |
| Thinking relationally | A way of understanding the world that sees interconnections, relationships, and systems as central to ethical decision-making and meaningful change |
The two thinking habits are connected and help to make those meaningful shifts in practice, approaches and strategies to support learners. Both these habits need others to provide perspectives. True reflection is with that critically minded partner that you can discuss, agree-to-disagree, return back to with new knowledge and insight. They are the people who can then help us to make those relationally interconnections, decisions and changes.
Teaching is relational. We build positive relationships to make connections to teach curriculum. Learners are not just students in our classes, they’re humans developing, evolving, growing, trying to navigate this world called school, just like their educators.
Build relationships. Get critical, and dare I say it, reflect. Reflect critically and relationally together, and throughout it all, remember to give yourself grace in this ever revolving learning journey.
Thinking about it, ETFO Voice, the digital magazine of our union, has always provided an opportunity for ETFO members to do just that, reflect critically and share. Share your journey, it can help another educator.
