Journal entry
Creating a reflective consciousness
A Critical Incident (CI) is a very useful tool defined as a method of refective practice by Kennedy and Wyrick (1990) which allows teachers to reflect on real class situations and be able to take the correspondent actions. The events do not need to be dramatic; but they may have a significance to the person.
Critical incidents are one of the teaching strategies that science trainee teachers from the TEFL College in Zaragoza have to follow to reflect on their own practice as stated by Fernàndez Gonzalez, Elòrtegui Escartìn and Medina Perez (2003). As this a well worth technique, any student following a humanistic career should work with CIs in order to develop a reflective consciousness towards their jobs. In this way their own teaching could be reflected critically and analytically. I think I would have profited a lot from this technique if It had been taught to me when I was doing the TEFL college. How would I have reacted myself to those situations which I found difficult to deal with if I had had a written record of past experiences?. Monoreo (1999) argues that:
En este sentido desde la formación inicial y continuada, se tendrá que ofrecer a los profesores instrumentos de interpretación y análisis de la situación en la que se desarrolla su actividad, que les permitan tomar decisiones respecto a su actuación como aprendices y como docentes estratégicos, de manera que se vaya enriqueciendo y ampliando su formación en la interacción con la realidad cotidiana de la práctica profesional (p, 52).
We encounter lots of difficult situations in our daily practice which, if we were accustomed to keeping a written record of them, would serve as the basis for future similar problematic ones where the teacher spends a lot of time thinking how to solve them. Writing forces you to make a connection with your past and present life. That is why, critical incidents contain details of the place and time when the incident took place as well as a brief description of the problematic situation, the causes and possible solutions to deal with the problem.
How important it is to connect theory and practice, knowledge and experience, ideal classes and the every day classroom. We, as teachers, should be prepared to put into practice that load of knowledge, techniques, and approaches that we have once learnt and be able to respond coherently to real class situations. This professional resource will let the teachers get a high reflective methodology which will help them face their future teaching practice in a different way.
References
Fernandez 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, 17- 001. Zaragoza, España: Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved December 2007, from
Kennedy, R. L. & Wyrick, A. M. (1995). Teaching as reflective practice. Tennessee: The University of Tennessee.
Monereo, C. (Coord.) (1999). Estrategias de enseñanza aprendizaje. Formaciòn del profesorado y aplicación en la escuela. Barcelona: Graó
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