Reflection has been an ongoing theme throughout this course. In the syllabus, it is expressed as “reflect on academic and professional practice.” Previously, I did not see reflection as a necessary component of a math class. However, after participating in reflection activities, I have learned to value how important reflection is!

The first reflection activity we completed was our math autobiography assignment. For this assignment, we considered our previous math experiences and how this can impact our teaching practice. It was really beneficial to consider my own math experiences to reflect on what I enjoyed during my learning experiences versus what I found challenging. This will allow me to teach my math class in a way that considers my personal learnings to hopefully help my students learn effectively. Here are a few of my favourite paragraphs from my autobiography. Take a look to see some reflection in action!

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Click on the image to make it bigger!

Click on the image to make it bigger!

In addition to the autobiography, we have also been partaking in reflections after each class. These have allowed me to consider my learnings and how I can transfer my knowledge to my teaching practice. These after-class reflections have also helped me consider what I learned after each class to clearly visualize the knowledge I gained after each session!

Another resource I found useful when considering reflection is a reading called “Reflective Practice: Transforming Education and Improving Outcomes,” by Gwen Sherwood and Sara Horton-Deutsch. In summary, it explains that reflection allows us to consider our actions to change future responses. It explains that reflective practice can be used to transform our learning experience, and it should be used more when learning because it can improve the learning process! This article clearly explained why reflection is important when learning, which further emphasizes that it should be incorporated into all aspects of the classroom (including mathematics)!

Having a math journal can be an effective way to incorporate reflection in the math classroom. Here is a few learning prompts for math reflection activities that I got from the “Math Journal Ideas” document on Brightspace:

  • Math autobiography: Describe your experiences with mathematics both in school and out of school.
  • Describe when you were stuck solving a problem, and explain how you got unstuck.
  • What I like most about math is… What I like least about math is…
  • Write a story problem that can be used to illustrate 3 x 11 = 33.
  • Explain to your cousin how multiplication is like addition.

I would love to use these in my future classroom to get students thinking about their own experiences, obstacles, and to identify what they learned!

Photo by Jan Kahanek on Unsplash

After engaging in my own reflective practices, and learning about reflection through various resources, I now understand the importance of incorporating reflection in the math classroom. By having students reflect, they can consider what works for them and what does not. From there, the teacher can adapt the lesson to fit each students’ needs. Furthermore, incorporating reflections in the math class can help students visualize their learnings and see how far they have come in the learning process!