Accomplished Teachers and Reflective Practice: Becoming Better

It's all about becoming better, isn't it?

Each day of life is about improving ourselves, and teaching is about becoming better at instructing and learning. I've been on the road to accomplished teaching for awhile, and it's a journey with no real end. Every day that I work with teachers and students is about how I can improve my practice. 

How can I educate better? Listening - Positioning - Reflecting

1. Listening: Hearing the essence of what others say.

• not superficial listening - which is simply waiting for the speaker to stop so I can jump in. 
• not autobiographical listening - which is adding my two cents of life history to whatever is being said 

Authentic listening is being present for the speaker, acknowledging what is being said, and being able to understand and clarify and even respond to what was said.

2. Positioning:  Offering substantive support to others.

• not in a top down hierarchy - I am not the know-it-all, but I am the know-it-some. 
• planning for future opportunities is not always about just following what I say, it's about using what I say to plan your way.

Successful positioning is more about how to position myself  to become a more successful mentor. Successful mentors will  collaborate and offer guidance from the side, instead of standing up front, like beacons in the night.

3. Reflecting: Thinking about what was done. 

• how are our conversations the basis for real change?
• what can we do to increase our practice as teachers?
• do we really reflect, or do we sometimes just rehearse what we've done? 

Do we really think about how to improve our work? And if our work is with other teachers, do we really offer them a chance to improve themselves?

After all, isn't every day another chance to improve ourselves?