Cultivating a Culture of Reflection

Routines are an integral part of classroom culture. Teachers implement classroom management routines that prevent unwanted behaviors and maximize learning time; they can also establish habits of mind, like reflection, that promote a greater sense of self, an increased awareness of other people's viewpoints, and a deeper understanding of classroom content. 

For a teacher to create a culture of reflection, he must allow time for reflection and provide tools to help guide the reflective process. As a teacher, I challenged myself to make sure that I balanced the amount of time I talked with the time I gave students to think/process the information. This may involve reflecting as an individual or with a partner. This ratio differs depending on the students’ ages. As a middle school teacher, I tried to use the balance of ten minutes of instruction to two minutes of group reflection and then two minutes of individual reflection. This depended on the activity, but it was a general rule for me.

There are many different tools that teachers can use to promote more reflection. I have previously written about thinking routines;[1] I have found that developing these routines are so important, and it is appropriate to mention them again. Project Zero[2], a research project facilitated by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has created a robust list of thinking routines. Not only do these routines promote higher levels of thinking, but they also provide a structure that encourages reflection. For example, the routine, “I Used to Think…, But Now I Think…”, provides a framework for students to reflect on their preconceived ideas/knowledge and identify how their understanding has changed because of a lesson or activity.

An activity becomes a routine when it is used regularly and consistently and when a teacher models how to use it in multiple ways. These routines are not complicated, but they are powerful tools to guide students in reflecting on their learning. As you continue to build up your teaching toolbox, I encourage you to explore the Project Zero thinking routines; they are free to use by all educators. 

Creating a culture of reflection is also important in developing a biblical worldview. Teachers must start by reflecting on how they develop their own biblical worldview as they study and teach so that they can model this process with their students. We are all exposed to a secular worldview. Establishing habits of reflection that are anchored in truth safeguards us from distortions of truth. The routine “Tug of Truth,” also found on the Project Zero site, provides an approach to exploring different perspectives on something claimed to be true. Following the concept of a tug of war, students explore claims and evidence and then reflect on what is true.  

The brain is a beautiful organ and an example of God’s creative power. It is designed to make connections, which promotes deep understanding, and allows us to transfer information or apply what we learn in different ways and situations. If a teacher doesn’t allow students to make these connections through routines of reflection and other engaging activities, he is not promoting transformative learning in his classroom; this is a missed opportunity to foster a biblical worldview in our students and potentially hinders our students from learning as God intended. 

As you consider your instructional plans for the coming weeks, be intentional about how you can create space for reflection routines and thus cultivate a culture of reflection in your classroom.

Leighton Helwig
Leighton is the Head of School at Faith Academy. Before this position, Leighton taught middle school science, was the principal of Faith's Middle School, and served in various national and regional roles with TeachBeyond.  One of Leighton's passions is teacher development and coaching; he has provided various professional development opportunities throughout his career at Faith Academy and the public school he worked for in the United States.