Grant and Zeichner’s compelling article to embody the practices of a reflexive teacher strongly resonated with me. Particularly, their three main attitudes were strong guidelines I seek to personify myself. Open-mindedness as a teacher is essential, as it allows for true reflection, resulting in meaningful actions which benefit the students in the best ways possible. Moreover, I appreciated the article’s articulation of responsibility. Veritably, my actions as a teacher have consequences on my students’ learning, but this does suggest to be overly cautious. Being excessively hesitant would go against the third attitude to be wholehearted. Instead, by acknowledging responsibility for one’s students and embracing wholeheartedness, it creates a meaningful impact that strives for growth as a collective class. Overall, I want to be a learner along with my students, and by representing the three attitudes of a reflexive teacher, education within the classroom becomes reciprocal.
Though Grant and Zeichner mention having an unwavering teaching philosophy, I believe this was not especially relevant for me. Inherently, being a reflexive teacher elicits adaptability to cater to one’s students. As I grow as a teacher and individual, my teaching philosophy should change to accommodate the myriad of students I come to meet. Thus, to be unsweaving would stunt my growing pedagogy. In addition, the article presents an outdated view of bias. While it is important to acknowledge where one’s beliefs stem from, there is no mention of how a course’s material reflects partiality. This is imperative to consider, as teachers must be conscious of what social constructs and cultural norms are being promoted through their lessons’ contents. Such coursework does not necessarily need to be avoided, but as a class, it is significant to critically analyze the contextual logic and understand its origins.
Furthering critical analysis, Grant and Zeichner highlight a poignant moral and ethical responsibility of teachers to never passively follow. In relation to a school’s customs and regulations, a reflexive teacher should always question the rationale. I find this agreeable, as even if the reasoning may seem intuitive, by not actively questioning administrative decisions, it could lead to missing out on implicit and deeper reasonings that potentially apply to one's own teachings. Nevertheless, through their same point, I disagree that our only major learning sources are our university instructors and supervisors, and the teachers and administrators we interact with during practicum. From my perspective, high school teachers influenced a lot of my teaching beliefs. While not exactly demonstrating how to become a teacher, they heavily motivated my ambitions, and were the guides that showed me what I want to be.
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