Have you ever found yourself saying: What am I going to do with this child??? What is the problem? How did this activity go so wrong? Why didn't I know this was going to happen? How can I fix this?
Well, do not fear! This article is here to share some practical advice on how to fix those nagging questions in early education. One answer could be... (drum roll please...!) Consider practicing a rhythm of reflection!
Yes, a rhythm of reflection! Reflective practice in early childhood education can be your answer to those nagging questions. Truthfully, the community of early childhood education actually requires early childhood educators to cultivate a rhythm of reflection.
However, early childhood educators are pulled in so many directions in the infant/toddler or preschool classroom that a rhythm of reflection is rarely practiced. They are swamped with bottle feeding, diaper changing, nose wiping, hugs giving and teeth brushing. Don't forget the task of preparing an engaging curriculum and teaching practices that ensure a safe environment for all the children in the school.
It is no wonder reflective practices are the last thing on educators' minds. However, if educators practice reflection daily, they gain helpful knowledge in understanding critical teaching and learning strategies for each child's growth and development.
What does a reflective practice in ECE mean?
Reflective practices in early childhood education occur when educators take dedicated time to think about their teaching practices and how they can better serve the children in the early education setting.
When teachers reflect, they intentionally consider different aspects of their classroom, what's going well, and what needs improvement.
For example, an early childhood educator can reflect on their teaching strategies or focus on the children in the learning community and their families. Early childhood professionals can practice reflecting on the children's culture, their background, or their family's community or classroom involvement. Then, an early childhood teacher can use that information to develop ideas that can enhance the lives of the children.
Reflective practice in early childhood can also include reflection through observations of the children. As the teacher observes the children's learning, the educator can reflect on that learning to implement continuous improvement ideas.
Teachers can practice reflection by being intentional. They question what can be continually improved in their community, the needs of their colleagues and their curriculum—and how they can enhance the learning environment to meet the needs of the children.
Does reflective practice include self-reflection?
Yes! Self-reflection in early childhood means thinking about yourself, your practice in early education and how your teaching practices enhance your curriculum or identify areas for ongoing professional development.
For example, educators can self-reflect on their professional goals, teaching styles and professional growth and development. This is where you can connect the chaos of each day back to the foundational knowledge you learned in your ECE program.
Self-reflection is also a time to reflect on your mental health. Mental health reflections include asking yourself honest questions.
- How am I feeling about my personal and professional growth?
- Is my practice as an educator growing and thriving?
- Am I learning?
- What am I doing for self care?
- Where does my work-life balance need adjustment?
- What is my relationship like with the other educators?
- What do I do when challenges in the school arise?
- How are my relationships with the preschool families?
- How do I honestly feel about my life right now?
7 Benefits of developing a reflective practice
Intentional reflection is not about creating more work for yourself. It's about stepping through the noise and chaos of your daily routines to notice what is and isn't working—then making adjustments that improve your day and your work.
A little extra effort and intention here can create less work and stress for you in the long run. Here's how.
1. Reflective practice helps professionals enhance their teaching
When teachers reflect on their experiences and relationships with the children in an early childhood environment, they can reflect on what went well and what did not go well in the day.
This time of reflection allows the educator to consider different approaches to working with the children. This reflective practice will also give the teacher time to think about other ways to focus on the child and develop strategies that continually improve the children's learning and lives
2. Reflective practice reduces lesson plan fatigue
Implementing reflective practices can prevent educators from experiencing lesson plan fatigue. Lesson plan fatigue happens when educators have to plan daily, weekly and monthly activities for the children with each subject and each learning domain.
The continuous nature of day-to-day lesson planning with activities can be daunting for professionals. However, a regular schedule of reflective practice in early childhood helps educators think consistently about their children's learning; jotting down areas for improvement or new ideas and implementing those improvements in future lessons can reduce fatigue.
This reflection gives teachers time to think and plan lessons that are engaging for the children. Over time, teachers will have a list of developmentally-appropriate activities generated from reflective practices. This list will provide the teacher with activities that can be used for future lesson implementation.
3. Reflective practice helps you reach your professional goals
Reflection in early childhood education causes educators to think deeply about their teaching strategies. As educators think of these strategies, they can set goals for when and how these strategies can be implemented.
The teacher can use professional development times to develop those strategies further. Educators can choose professional development workshops that focus on those specific goals they have set for themselves in the early childhood environment. These workshops can be used as tools to sharpen those goals.
4. Reflective practice helps early childhood professionals address challenges in education
Challenges in education will come.
From challenges with families, colleagues or other educators, areas of conflict can add significant stress to a teacher's workday. But parents are part of an early learning environment. The relationship with those families is essential.
When a teacher takes time to reflect on those relationships with an intention for continuous improvement, the reflective process will yield professional growth.
For example, if a teacher is having a difficult time with a parent or a colleague in the classroom, they can use reflecting time to taking time to consider different approaches of how to respond and jot down possible solutions to improve those relationships. Teaching professionals must take the time to practice reflections to cultivate those relationships.
5. Reflective practice helps early childhood professionals teach intentionality
Reflective practice requires early childhood professionals to think strategically about the teaching process and the importance of how they are teaching. It's a critical part of intentional teaching. (As opposed to reactive or traditional ways of teaching). For more on what that looks like, check out these 7 Inspiring Examples of Intentional Teaching.
Implementing reflective practice before teaching a lesson is one option. The teacher can take time to read through the entire lesson and review the planned activities. Then, they can ask reflective questions about the lesson in how it applies to their classroom.
Will this activity work for Johnny with his personality?
Will left-handed children be able to use the scissors for this?
When educators reflect, they can ask questions about the children in their classroom and the kinds of developmentally-appropriate activities they provide.
Then, after the lesson, teachers can also reflect by reviewing the experience. Consider... what went right or wrong with the experience? Did the children respond like you thought they would? What could you do differently next time? What strategic elements of the lesson did the activity support?
Reflective practice requires teachers to be intentional about their thinking, focus on different aspects of their teaching, and make changes to improve.
6. Reflective practice in early childhood education counts as professional development.
As teachers self-reflect and increase their reflective practice in early education, they develop useful knowledge and skills necessary for their job performance.
Additionally, to effectively use those skills, teachers can use reflective practice time to collaborate with their supervisors on their findings about their self-reflection and their time reflecting on their early childhood practices. As teachers discuss their findings with their supervisors, this reflective supervision time can sharpen their skills and provide increased context for understanding the children's culture for future action.
Reflective supervision is a great way to gain valuable insight into how you develop relationships, observe key takeaways that reflective practice provides, and build additional learning and teaching strategies for early childhood education.
7. Reflective practice can prevent burnout
In ECE, it's easy to burn out. Educators typically step in to fit many different gaps because they consistently prioritize the wellbeing of the kids in their care. If your working environment is challenging or under-resourced, it's likely that you are taking on extra responsibility.
Stopping to think, reflect and make intentional choices about how you proceed in this role can make a huge difference for your sanity.
Practicing a rhythm of reflection in early childhood requires ECE teachers to stop and think about all aspects of their teaching-learning environment. Daily reflections during or after activities, during designed times at school or home, jotting down random thoughts or ideas, meeting with colleagues, applying reflective supervision, or just taking time to think about your mental health is reflective practice.
This intentional time is valuable and necessary for your well-being and can answer some of your nagging questions about the children in your care.
How to start a reflective practice
If all of that sounds pretty good, I have great news—the hardest part about reflection is really just setting aside the time.
First, make time
Reflection can only happen if educators make time to think about their teaching practices.
Dedicate some time to reflections before going to work, during work or after work, whatever moment works best in your schedule.
Reflecting on your practices does not have to take long. Educators can give as little as 5 minutes to think or take more time to reflect if they have the time.
Early childhood directors can also provide time during the early childhood day to implement reflective practices. Educators can use that time to meet with colleagues to reflect on the children's education, to self-reflect, or to reflect on the children's learning styles.
Just choose a time and space and stick to it. Consistency and intentionality are most of the battle here.
Then, write things down
A notebook is a good way to track your reflections.
Catch a sale at your nearest store and grab a notebook that’s easy to carry around. The important thing is to have something you can use to track your reflections. This can help you look back on some of your ideas, different aspects of understanding a concept, or ways to plan lessons you haven't thought about before.
If you keep a section of your notebook for certain subject areas, like activity ideas or tracking progress on your own professional development goals, you'll have easy ways to reference the brilliant ideas that pop up as you are reflecting on your work.
It's powerful to be intentional
If you understand the value of intentionality in early childhood education, you might be the kind of person who'd make a great leader.
Leaders in ECE make strategic and thoughtful choices about how to educate, how to work with families, and ultimately, how to make ECE the rewarding industry it really should be.
And there are careers in ECE right now where you can have that kind of impact. Check out 7 Things You’ll Do as a Director of Early Childhood Education to see what it's like to set the tone for intentionality in ECE.
It is important to check the education credential and work experience requirements that are needed to become a Director Early Childhood Education.
The Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen University are not designed to meet, and do not meet, the educational requirements for licensure to teach in public preschools, or kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools in any state. A bachelor’s degree from a state-approved university or university and a state teaching license are typically required to work as a teacher in a public school, and in a private school setting. The Rasmussen University Early Childhood Education programs are not approved by any state agency that licenses teachers. Before enrolling, it is important to understand all of the licensure eligibility standards for a desired career by consulting the appropriate state and school/facility requirements.
