DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET Are You a Reflective Teacher?  9 Reflective Teachers Consider Children’s Perspectives Reflective teachers believe that children are competent thinkers and learners and that their ideas and actions are worth taking seriously. They notice the details of children’s activities to learn more about what might be on children’s minds. Reflective teachers see themselves as researchers of the teaching and learning process. They work side by side with children in deepening understandings. Reflective Teachers Are Eager to Gain More Perspectives Reflective teachers also seek out many perspectives to enhance their under- standings of their work. They are eager to interact and share stories of children with coworkers and the children’s families. They spend time studying theories about children and child development to consider how theory connects to their daily practices with children. Reflective Teachers Look for Details Observing children closely and noticing the details of how they engage with materials and each other are critical practices for reflective teaching. The details of what is unfolding with children become the data that reflective teachers use to study the teaching and learning process. Reflective Teachers Examine the Environment Reflective teachers understand that the environment and materials play a power- ful role in enhancing the teaching and learning process, so they continually assess and consider the impact of the environment and adapt and change it to enhance children’s experiences. Reflective Teachers Are Fully Engaged in Their Work For reflective teachers, working with children is a journey filled with joys and struggles that lead to an engaged and nourishing professional life. Most of all, reflective teachers delight in children and the amazing learning and develop- ment unfolding around all of them, both teachers and children. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL