A FRAMEWORK AND CONTEXT FOR

THE REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER

The framework for the teacher candidacy experience at Wisconsin Lutheran College is built around the purpose of
developing educators who are reflective practitioners. Reflective practitioners seek to solve problems through a balanced
inquiry about practical situations. We expect pre-service teachers to analyze informally and formally while they are
engaged in these diverse instructional situations during the scope of teacher candidacy and beyond into their professions.

Throughout our teacher education program, pre-service teachers are encouraged to examine and interpret their attitudes
and beliefs about teaching and learning in disciplined ways. Such reflective inquiry is the well-spring of responsible and
deliberate teaching and learning in practice. It is only natural and essential that this reflective inquiry continue—even
expand in depth and breadth—during the teacher candidacy experience.

A reflective practitioner builds and examines knowledge about learners, the culture and curricula of schooling, and the
contexts in which teaching and learning occur; such a practice assists an educator to simultaneously renew, invigorate,
and maximize the teaching process. Such renewal requires contemplation about:
1. One’s self and the effect on the teaching/learning process;
2. One’s previously acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions;
3. One’s current learners and educational setting; and
4. One’s vision for accountability and development of every learner’s potential.

The reflective practitioner seeks to integrate previously learned information with the present experience in order to
achieve future results. This quest is enhanced through collaborative efforts with colleagues, other professionals and
community resources.

Learner

TEACHER

Context Content
 Four R’s of Reflective Writing

This reflective journal is not a depository for mere factual information. It is true that facts are needed in the narrative
journal. The challenge, however, is to go beyond the facts to make journal writing an expression of the expectations,
perceptions, and feelings, that cluster around the experiences of teaching and learning. The journal is to become
essentially a journal of personal and professional growth.

Reflective journal writing need not be considered a one-size-fits-all experience. The teacher candidate may appropriately
use a variety of forms, but feelings and voice should be clearly present in this record of the experience. The Four-R
format that follows is an outline of a structured approach that assists the teacher candidate in the process of reflective
journaling.

To facilitate a deeper understanding and growth of reflective practice during the teacher candidacy, the WLC School
of Education requires teacher candidates to express their insights and observations in weekly written journals
which are sent to the college supervisor and due at the end of each week by Sunday at 11:59 p.m.

Directions for the Weekly Reflective Journal:

1. Develop a heading which includes: name, school, grade(s), week number/dates and weekly theme.

2. Create day-by-day bulleted listings of observations, projects and teaching experiences, etc.

3. Using the information from the past week, compose journal entries following the four R’s and labeling each respective
section as explained under each section below:

A. Recollections—Capturing the Moment

Summarize this week’s key experiences as they have unfolded. Highlight one or two experiences and provide the
facts and contexts for them. These serve as an introduction to the reflective process. If this introduction describes a
teaching incident, this is the time to address the “who, what, when, how” questions of the experience.

B. Reaction—Engaging the Affective Domain of Attitudes, Beliefs, and Feelings

As you re-examine your description of the even or issue that is the focus of your journal entry in the recollection
section, what does the “evidence” that you have documented say to you? How are you feeling about it now?
Connect the dots for your reader. Are there examples that you can reference that illustrate your response?

C. Relevance—Engaging the Cognitive Domain of Thinking

How are the facts and feelings related to what is known about teaching and learning? How do these connect to your
acquired research and knowledge bases? Does this information extend your understanding of teaching and
learning in new ways? How is this meaningful to you? What impact has it had on you? What new possibilities do
you see? What perspectives have changed or been added? Be as specific as possible to make this reflection
concrete and substantive by being a “name dropper” of theorists, programs, best practice research, etc. to anchor
and support your claims.

D. Responsibility—Engaging the Psychomotor Domain of Doing

How does the new information, the knowledge gained, apply to the teaching and learning process? What else do
you need to know? Who else can give insight? What resources should be consulted? What are possible next
steps for the immediate future and/or applications for your future in the classroom?

The time spent in reflection is especially valuable as it contributes to professional growth and results in enrichment
of your teaching and your emerging role as a servant leader. This is an essential foundational practice in a
purposefully professional approach to serving as an instructional leader within your classroom and in your school
community. This “habit of the mind” can serve you in all of your endeavors.

4. Besides describing observations and teaching experiences through the four R’s of the reflection process, the teacher
candidates should also devote a well-developed paragraph to insights and connections on each of the following areas
according to the week of teacher candidacy:
Week 1: General Observations Week 10: The “buzz” on state assessments; standards
Beginning Experience Feelings
Week 2: Describe the culture of your school Week 11: Special experiences
environment A. Student stories
A. District Philosophy B. Collegial sharing
B. School Philosophy/Climate
C. Classroom Climate
D. Teacher Expectations (coop. teacher/yours) Week 12: Handling the holiday experience
A. What can/cannot be done in public classrooms?
Week 3: First Level of Responsibilities B. What about children who cannot celebrate the
A. Where are they? holidays?
B. How did they go?
Week 4: Grading/Evaluation of Learning
A. School reporting format Week 13: Next “level” of responsibilities
B. Cooperating Teacher’s Philosophy
C. One other teacher’s Philosophy Week 14: Non-classroom responsibilities
D. Your Philosophy or questions or concerns A. What else do teachers do? Is it required of
Week 5: Next “level” of responsibilities them?
A. Where are they? B. Is your school’s faculty legalistic concerning
B. How did it go? these activities or primarily willing participants?

Week 6: Relationships Week 15: Exceptional individuals

A. Cooperating teacher and you A. Describe a struggling learner. Problem?
B. Students in the classroom Strategies? Etc.
C. Seminar peers B. Describe a gifted child: Problem? Strategies?
D. You and your students Etc.
Week 7: Home-School Partnerships
A. General Curriculum Week 16: Advice on securing employment
B. Parent/Teacher Conferences
Week 8: Classroom management Week 17: Self-assessment
A. Cooperating Teacher Philosophy A. Teaching
B. Your Philosophy B. Grading/Learning expectations
C. A positive example C. Relationships
D. A negative example D. Application of knowledge and skills
E. Areas for improvement
Week 9: Next “level” of responsibilities
A. What are they?
B. How did it go? Week 18: Wrap-up and advice for future topical areas
C. Self Assessment: one half of teacher candidacy
is completed. Have I improved since the first
day of the experience?