Name of Student: Stephen Duffy G00324453

Article/Reading: Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher Chapter II

Author: Stephen D. Brookfield

1. CONCISE SUMMARY OF READING

Stephen Brookfield believes that critical reflection focuses on the hunting

of assumptions of power and control. He states that the best way to
unearth these assumptions is to look at what we do from as many
unfamiliar viewpoints as possible. That we need to find some viewpoints
that reflect back to us a blunt and differently highlighted picture of who
we are and what we do. Brookfield devised four lenses for us as educators
through which we can view our teaching. They are (1) our
autobiographies as teachers and learners, (2) our students eyes, (3) our
colleagues experiences, and (4) theoretical literature (Brookfield, 1995,
p29). Brookfield states that viewing what we do through these lenses
allows us to view our teaching in a clearer unbiased way.
Our autobiographies as teachers and learners is the foundation of
critical reflection. It allows us to self-reflect, trying to find a deep
connection as to what our students are experiencing. We may focus on
previous experiences as learners and educators in order to become
aware of the paradigmatic assumptions and instinctive reasonings that
frame how we work (Brookfield, 1995, p29-30). Once we have reflected
ourselves we can test the accuracy of our reflections by using our next
three lenses.
Seeing our practice through our students eyes and understanding what
is happening to them as they grapple with the process of learning is of the

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utmost importance for Brookfield (p35). By examining exam results,
student evaluations (exit cards, traffic lights, BFK surveys) we as teachers
can react an in turn teach more responsively (p35). Bringing both self-
reflection and observing student feedback together, exposes teaching
habits that may need modifications to improve students learning and
providing equal opportunities for all.
Learning from our colleagues and their experiences with mentoring,
recommendations and feedback can highlight hidden habits in our
practice, and also provide innovative answers to difficulties we may have.
Brookfield states that we can gain reassurance through engagements with
other teachers, as we soon realise seemingly unique problems and
idiosyncratic failings are shared by many others who work in situations
like ours (p36). Working with colleagues can add to enhanced teacher
motivation, improved relationships between us and our colleagues and
bring excellent teaching and learning outcomes.
The last lens theoretical literature can provide numerous interpretations
of familiar but impenetrable situations. Brookfield believes it can help us
understand our experiences deeper by renaming them in different ways,
and by shining light on general aspects of what we thought were unique
personal events and processes. Although some educators may feel
theoretical literature writers are out of touch with the reality of classroom
life Brookfield believes there is a lot to be gained from them.
By using these lenses Brookfield believes that we pay greater attention to
naming and confronting the dilemmas and contradictions we live through
on a daily basis (p39). Overall we develop our practice as educators
creating a more positive, healthy and student centred learning
environment.

2. CRITICAL REFLECTION

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I found Brookfields second chapter to be an interesting read. I feel it is a
well-structured chapter building up to his four lenses and then mentioning
each briefly. It then goes on to expand on each one and how the four
combined can affect the way we reflect and teach.
I have found always reflected on my practice through two of his lenses,
my autobiography as a teacher and learner and through theoretical
literature. It was not until I read this chapter that I found unknowingly that
I also reflect through the other two lenses, through my students eyes and
through my colleagues experiences. While on placement I always tried to
get feedback from my students by using exit cards, traffic light systems
and BFK surveys. I always tried to improve my practice using these
methods of obtaining feedback, but had never realised that what I was
doing was reflecting to improve my practice. Likewise I always sought out
the advice of my colleagues to draw from their past experiences to solve
problems that had arisen in my practice. I often looked for the advice from
my cooperating teachers and my college peers to see many different
points of view. I have also asked my cooperating teachers in the past to
view my practice to see if they could spot improvements that could be
made which I myself could not see. It is through dialogue with peers that
one is able to highlight hidden assumptions about ones own practice
(Atkinson & Irving, 2013, p6). Though I had not put pen to paper and
made a written reflection I had taken their advice on board and adjusted
my practice accordingly.
One that spoke out for me was where we as teachers discover our voices
with Brookfield stating in becoming critically reflective, we also learn to
speak about our practice in a way that is authentic and consistent
(Brookfield, 1995, p45). I feel this does ring a truth with me as at the
beging of my teaching practice I had felt like I didnt need to reflect back
on how my practice was doing, but over time through reflection I began to
open up more about my faults in my practice and seek advice from peers
and litriture. As Brookfield put we are all prisoners trapped within the

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perceptual frameworks that determine how we view our experiences (p
28).
Looking at Donald Schons model of reflective practice, he believes that
there are three types of reflecting (Schon, 1987). Knowing in Action is
the unconcious behavior of teachers in the classroom, working off the
teachers experience. Reflection in Action is a quick in the moment
reflection to make a decision within a lesson. Reflection on Action is a
post class reflection in which the educator looks back on a situation and
plans to improve it in the future. I believe Brookfields lenses are a broken
down model of this reflection type. I believe by using Brookfields lenses
we can gain more knowledge for situations in which we will need to use
Reflection in Action and then inturn transform the knowledge we gain
into Knowing in Action and being able to distinctively know the right
course of action in a given situation.
Although I have not found any critiacal sources for Brookfields seeing how
Schns model is critiqued for not looking to the future, perhaps it could
be argued that Brookfields model doesnt do this either (Eraut, 1994). For
instance, the autobiographies as learners and teachers lens could be
seen as a very narrow perspective with teachers reflecting back on
aspects of their own teaching or learning. I feel this works well if the exact
same situation were to arise again but the likelyhood of that happening
could be seen as very slim. I feel it would be best to imagine the
sercomstances in an alternet reality, by thinking what if this happened
instead? How would I have delt with that situation? If it were to happen in
the future, what would be the best thing to do?
Overall I belive I should always keep Brookfields lenses in mind when
reflecting whilst out on my placements making sure I look at every
situation I come across through each lens. I should gain feedback from my
students, advice from my peers and knowledge from litriture. I feel also
that this is something that I should keep up throughout my career as an
educator, as should all educators as there will always be new challenges

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that we will face within our profession. I feel it is also important to reflect
in this way for our professional development as reflection can be
understood as a key element of a student teacher's professional
development (Krkk, 2016).

3. LIST OF REFERENCES

Atkinson, S. P. & Irving, J., 2013. BPP.com. [Online]

Available at:
https://learnonline.gmit.ie/pluginfile.php/236878/mod_resource/content/1/bpp_publications_reflective_practice_march_2013.
pdf
[Accessed 15 November 2017].
Brookfield, S. D., 1995. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. 1 ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Eraut, M., 1994. Developing Professional Knowledge And Competence. In: D. Bourget, ed. Developing Professional
Knowledge And Competence. London: Routledge, p. 146.
Krkk, M., 2016. Professional Development Through Reflection in Teacher Education. Teaching and Teacher Education,
55(1), pp. 198-206.
Schon, D., 1987. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. In: D. Schon, ed. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco:
Jossey Bass.

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