Reflecting on my day with children

As any other day, I was on my toes beginning from the moment I entered the school premises.  Had barely managed to put my bag in the shelf when Anya held the corner of my dupatta, trying to draw my attention, "Ananya pushed me in the bus today and also hit me." In a hurry to organise myself for the day, I responded, "I am sure you would have done something too."  Having said this, I rushed to collect the set of worksheets which had to be given to children during my Language class.  Anya stood there looking at me and wondered whether she had actually done something. 

Sara and Vanya are very distracted during circle time, they wanted to be out on the slide and I firmly said, "Then you stay out and be on the slide and don't come in the class at all."  Not understanding the hidden message in my communication, they decide to move out of the class. As I try to get through my lesson during the Language class, Amit continues to whisper in Viren's ear.  "Will you stop doing that, you are disturbing us and not paying attention ."  "Viren whispered first and not me."  "No it was Amit who was looking at me and smiling and he always does that."  "Will you stop at once and pay attention." Towards the end of my lesson I ask children to submit the home assignment.  Ananya approaches me, "Mamma and Papa have gone out for many days, I am staying with my grandmother and was not able to complete my home assignment."

Dispersal time, children have left for the day and I sit down reflecting on my day.  Yes, I was late in the morning and had not been able to collect the set of worksheets yesterday.  Anya said Ananya had pushed her and hit her in the bus.  Could my response to Anya have been more open ended rather than judgmental, "Can you think of why she pushed you, did you ask her why she did so and try to resolve it?" "Okay let me speak with her."  In my closed response to Anya, I had not done justice to the faith and confidence with which she had approached me.  Sara and Vanya wanted to be on the slide because I had promised them yesterday that I would give outdoor choice time and did not do so.  Maybe if I had told them, "I understand you want to be out on the slide, so today our choice time would be outdoors"  they would have probably not moved out of the class.  A little humor in the language class could have been helpful in getting back the attention of Viren and Amit, "I know there is something very interesting going on there.  Let us keep it for the end of this class and then share with all."  And yes, Ananya mentioned that she is staying with her grandmother.  She has not submitted her assignment today, the absence of her parents is emotionally disturbing her. Could be the reason why she pushed and hit Anya in the bus.  And I was late in the morning, did not feel the sense of organisation within me.

As a teacher I have always seen value in reflecting on my day with children - sitting down in the class for thirty minutes after the children had left, thinking on my way home or noting observations in my journal at home. Reflection requires time, it requires special time every day.  Time wherein one can review, question, examine and connect classroom experiences and situations.  What went right, what went wrong, what did a child say, why was a child disruptive, why did children not comprehend the instructions, why were the class dynamics different today, what were the questions children asked today, was my my lesson plan implementation the way I had planned.  Interesting anecdotes shared by children, shifts I observed today, new strengths which I see emerging in my children, what could be the next theme and could my communication have been a little different.  

Reflection would begin with reflecting on the self, lesson plan implementation, observations about children and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies, most important maintaining a journal.  A reflective teacher will also encourage children to reflect on their own work and help them grow as reflective individuals.