Reflection — 4 lenses by Stephen Brookfield (1995)

Stephen Brookfield’s famous book: Becoming a critically Reflective Teacher (1995) centres on the idea and extends what John Dewey mentioned in his famous quote that critical reflection is crucial for teacher development.

Brookfield argues that teachers should move beyond simply describing their practice to critically analyzing it to improve their effectiveness and address issues of equity and social justice in the classroom. Being said that he introduced and outlines below 4 lenses:

Below are the strategies which represent key approaches derived from each lens:

1. Self: Looking into our own practice

This involves self-assessment and examining our assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning. It requires honestly confronting our strengths and weaknesses. This isn’t just introspection, but a conscious effort to uncover hidden biases or ineffective practices. Below are some ways which we teachers can critically reflect our own teaching practices:

· Keeping a reflective journal

· Analysing video recording of lessons

· Developing a critical experience analysis

2. Students: Looking into the eyes of our students

This emphasizes understanding students’ perspectives and experiences in the classroom. It involves seeking feedback from students through various methods and actively listening to their responses, recognizing that their perspectives may differ greatly from our own. Students provide the genuine and unbiased feedback on our teaching practice. Reflection through students’ lens can be done through:

· Employing students feedback mechanism

· Analysing student work

· Holding student conference

3. Theoretical: Looking into the scholarly literature

This encourages us to engage with relevant research and theories in education. This helps to contextualize our experiences, identify best practices, and refine our pedagogical approaches. Below are some examples of reflecting through theorical lens:

· Reading educational research

· Attending professional development workshop

· Connecting theory with practice

4. Peers: Looking into the eyes of our colleagues

This highlights the value of peer observation, feedback, and collaborative discussions. Learning from the experiences and perspectives of other teachers broadens our understanding and reveals aspects of our teaching we may not have noticed on our own. Having a trusted and unbiased colleague is a blessing and can help us in reflecting on our teaching practices by:

· Participating in peer observation

· Engaging in collaborative lesson planning

· Participating in PDQ’s

Reflection is the most difficult practice in teaching. Self-reflection is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. It allows us to recognise our strengths and the area of improvement. By reflecting on our lessons and experiences, we can learn from our mistakes and celebrate our success. Critical analysis through 4 lenses helps us refine our teaching methods, adopt new strategies and unlearn or discard ineffective practices. It helps us to create a more engaging and effective learning environment as we keep on tailoring our approaches to better meet the needs of our learners which results in their academic outcomes too.

Conclusion

Brookfield’s 4 lenses reflection model encourages adaptability by developing a mindset that is open to change and innovation. This resilience enables us to navigate the complexities of teaching and remain effective educators even in the face of adversity.