Journal Entry

 

Critical Incidents: Fostering Teacher Reflection

Why should teachers reflect on their profession?  Are “Critical Incidents” (CIs) a tool to let others know about your professional experiences?  Can other professionals benefit from analysing them?  Wouldn’t the writer of critical incidents feel ashamed when sharing his/her experiences with others?  The importance of these questions is given in the fact that professionals always look for better ways to enhance their daily work. Fostering reflection has the ultimate end of promoting change.

Teachers are professionals.  As Fernández González, Elórtegui Escartín and Medina Pérez (2003) pointed out, not only must they know about their subject, but also they should be able to observe their teaching practice and reflect on it in order to take meaningful decisions. 

The only reliable way to take professional decisions is through introspection and reflection.  There is a wide range of instruments used to foster teacher reflection.  One of them is CIs.  They describe real and unique teaching situations, with the clearly defined aim of allowing student teachers to reflect, analyse and finally become able to make decisions. 

CIs may be used at Teacher Education Programmes.  According to Fernández González et al. (2003), the following steps are followed: a) description of the context, b) description of the problem, c) possible causes, and d) plausible solutions.  Teachers analysing the CIs with their peers by means of debates will be able to learn how to reflect and how to take decisions.  Moreover, decisions made for particular CIs – though might not be shared by all – may be repeated in their future professional career. 

Even though we all like to show only our outstanding capabilities, we might also share daily classroom experiences with student teachers.  We will benefit from this reflection exercise, and student teachers will benefit as well, since they will start developing necessary skills.  Moreover, the whole profession – in the present and in the future – will benefit from this deep analysis and skills acquisition.  Griffin (2003) has revealed that CIs lead teachers toward growth and inquiry.  As a professional, you should not feel ashamed, but proud of writing CIs. 

References

Fernández González, J., Elórtegui Escartín, N., & Medina Pérez, M.  (2003).  Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza.  Revista Universitaria de Formación de Profesorado, año/vol 17, número 001.  Retrieved October 2011, from http://www.grupoblascabrera.org/didactica/pdf/incidentes%20criticos.pdf

Griffin, M. (2003).  Using critical incidents to promote and assess reflective thinking in preservice teachers.  Reflective Practice. Vol. 4, no. 2. Retrieved October 2011, from http://graduateseminar1.wikispaces.com/file/view/Griffin,+Using+Critical+Incidents.pdf