I believe that being a reflective practitioner is crucial to being a successful teacher. After each lesson, whether it be in person or virtual, I look back and see what went wrong, what went right, what was better than I expected, what happened that was unexpected, and how I might change the lesson in the future to ensure student success. 

 

Whether I am teaching classes online to large groups of elementary students or to my groups of 8th grade students, taking time to reflect after each lesson has helped me to understand the limitations of teaching virtually and how I can get students excited about art class. Some days are difficult, some are really successful, and some lessons don’t work the way you think they might. Sometimes I get headaches from looking at a screen all day, I get zoom fatigue, I get irritable, or I don’t want to look at the screen, and I think it's important to understand that the students are feeling the same way. I try to be a good example for the students, even when I’m having an off day. I want art class to be the fun part of the day, even if it's their 5th hour of looking at the screen, I want students to be excited when they come to class, and I want them to show their work and be proud of it. By reflecting after my lessons I can see if I am doing these things successfully, and what I can do next time to do better.