Self-Reflection to Improve Teaching

Self-Reflection to Improve Teaching

The work of Stephen Brookfield states that critical reflection is the method to revealing the worth of teaching and critically reflective teachers "are excellent teachers who continually hone their personalized 'authentic voice' a 'pedagogic rectitude' that reveals the 'value and dignity' of the teacher's work 'because now we know what it's worth." (p.46-7) The critically reflective teacher has a goal to achieve a goal of an in-depth awareness of their teaching from as many perspectives as they can. Brookfield states there are four lenses the teacher can engage in the critical reflection process including: (1) the autobiographical; (2) the student's eyes; (3) our colleague's experiences; and (4) theoretical literature. (Brookfield, 1995 cited in: Arts Teaching & Learning Network, nd, p.1)

Nurse Educator Role in Patient-Care Facility & Two Important Actions to Ensure Growth as an Educator

The work of Hoskins and Thompson (2009) state in the work entitled "Promoting International Counseling Identity: The Role of Collaboration, Research and Training" that the creation of "meaningful and sustainable collaborative relationships is a critical component of success." (p.1) Collaboration is stated to be founded upon the establishment and maintenance of "strong professional relationships." (Hoskins and Thompson, 2009, p.1-2) Important actions that must be taken if one is to ensure their personal growth as an educator include the necessity to collaborate with other professionals and secondly to continue personal growth as an educator, the educator must ensure that they are continuously learning and growing in their field through ongoing education and training.

II. Steps to be Taken to Ensure Self-Reflective Educator & Feedback

Self-reflection is a process as noted in the work of Brookfield that necessitates that one see themselves through their own eyes, but as well through the eyes of those whom they are educating, through the eyes of their colleagues and as compared to the available knowledge, which increases daily and is reported in the research study literature. Towards this end, the nurse educator must examine their own knowledge and the way that their knowledge is viewed and valued by those whom they educate and those with whom they work and collaborate.

When the nursing educator finds that they are falling short of the mark then they must renew their commitment and time allotment for self-education to ensure that they are abreast of the latest information to ensure best practices in their education of others. Garnering feedback from their colleagues and those whom they educate is a critical aspect of self-reflection. The nursing educator must ensure that they are in possession of the necessary skills to teach new procedures to patients. As well, the nursing educator must seek 'teachable moments" or times when the patient is not overly tired, in excessive pain or distracted. (Hohler as cited in: Bryant, 2010, paraphrased)

In addition, Hohler is reported to advise that nurses "keep the language and images in any written material simple because adults who aren't avid readers tend to 'read two grade levels below the grade they completed in school." (Bryant, 2010, p.1) In addition, Hohler states that the right setting is necessary for effective teaching. (Bryant, 2010, paraphrased)

III. Observations/Concerns About Incorporation of Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is a critically important aspect of gauging the effectiveness of one's teaching and towards this end collaboration is an element that strongly supports self-reflection because it provides one with a standard of pertinent and applicable knowledge in the role of the nursing educator about who they are teaching, what level of education is appropriate and effective and in terms of how effective their own methods of teaching are and how much of the information is retained as it is presented by the nursing educator. Collaboration and feedback are important tools that make provision of a measure of effectiveness that the nursing educator can use to improve or finely tune their methods of presentation or the information provided during the education initiative. In today's patient-education environment the use of technology is extremely important as an aid and support to the information that patients are provided. It is common for the nursing educator to be apprehensive about their teaching in the clinical setting. Cook (2005) explored the anxiety related to teaching of nursing students in a study involving 229 junior and senior generic baccalaureate-nursing students in which the participants completed three questionnaires. After taking the demographic data questionnaire, the Clinical Teaching Survey and a Self-Evaluation Questionnaire, which were designed to measure state anxiety, findings indicated that there were "moderate negative correlations between students' perceptions of the personally and professionally inviting teaching behaviors" which is reported to have provided an explanation for "41% of the variance in students' state anxiety. Junior students rated faculty higher on personally and professionally inviting teaching behaviors than did senior students. However, both groups of students scored similarly on self-report of stated anxiety while interacting with clinical faculty. Findings indicate that clinical faculty should be intentionally aware of how their teaching behaviors are perceived by students and influence student anxiety during clinical experiences." (Cook, 2005, p.1)