Introduction
The craft of a teacher is implied in many-faceted assortment of innovative instrumentation. By letting students go through the difficulties of the education a teacher should provide sufficient and effective tools to make it faster. In fact, I have doubts that just cramming EFL students with new bits of information in accordance with curriculum is an efficient way to study languages. I cannot fail to agree that in the era of new technologies and fast-growing new approaches in education learning languages can be more reinforced. Linguistics adjoins student’s psychological characteristics. This is why reflective teaching is one of the techniques a teacher should use to effectively impact student’s achievements in learning English. Practicing reflective teaching in its variety of approaches is the way to improve on English learners’ ability to fix information and use it effectively afterwards.
Discussion
Reflective teaching is really popular among enthusiast in this profession. I see that the more people use hidden opportunities of mind, the more effective the accumulation of information is going on. Zeichner and Liston (1996) outline that “reflection involves intuition, emotion, and passion and is not something that can be neatly packaged as a set of techniques for teachers to use” (9). In my situation the role of reflection was rather suitable for the occasion of pre-existing ineffective instructional practice. The question is that running the gamut of the teaching experience shown on examples of other colleagues, I did my best to make students think of English from another perspective.
Understanding learners and organizing for teaching, I engaged with them through the techniques of better memorizing. EFL students need some similarities in English going together with their native language. This is why I provided different techniques to students. It was like a game for them, for it got them down into not that boring method for studying English. I fixed it then in my teacher diary, so that to lay emphasis on the effectiveness of reflection. The main improvement was in letting students use the power of their mind in a new way and by means of a new strategy. I am not apt in implementing NLP techniques. I think that it is effective, but it needs more proficiency. However, one of the models for NLP use touches upon:
- Identity
- Belief
- Capability
- Behavior
- Environment (Quirke, 2010).
Without thinking twice I followed these tips for making the education process flow well at the moment. I tried to nuzzle close to each parameter used in NLP model, so that to make students reflect what they had recollected so far. However, I was more interested in using mnemonic approaches along with an idea to relate them to hallmarks of NLP. I predicted to achieve effect at the moment when a so-called “stop” appears among students. It is influenced due to features that correspond to the whole atmosphere in the classroom as well as to some personal life mismatches of a student.
My action caused a burst of excitement among students, for they had not ever known that learning English was that easy. The techniques of mind mapping can be realized in using focal idea drawn in the center with “rays” of sub-points characterizing it. The main feature is that main points are supported by images and illustrations in different colors that help students use both linear and associative memory. As a result, both hemispheres of brain are engaged. In turn it goes into the effect of students’ having more knowledge and operating language units in a more sophisticated manner. One of the examples describing mind maps is a below figure:
Providing reflective teaching techniques is quite effective when making emphasis on the power of mind. In fact, the proficiency of this technique showed immediate results in students’ beliefs they can do that, meaning learning English thoroughly. The very figure shows a mind map about mind mapping, as such, in general peculiarities.
I also concentrated on three main features as being usable for dexterous teachers in the contemporary reality. Zeichner and Liston (1996) outline them as follows:
- Open-mindedness;
- Responsibility;
- Wholeheartedness.
Guided by these significant elements in reflective teaching, I tried to focus students’ attention on making more actions, as a prerequisite for faster growth of personal knowledge base. I demonstrated it on some episodes from when I started and how I continued my learning English. In fact, it is clear that many natives do not have such viable problems on the initial level of studying. Though, tending to describe innovative approaches used in reflective teaching, I attempted to bring a feeling of relief in the classroom. It was felt straight after the first attempts to get EFL students involved into the vortex of the English language through better memorizing.
Conclusion
Reflective teaching is a direct process of teacher’s self-evaluation by means of self-observation (British Council, 2004). In this respect a proficient teacher should think of weather concrete methodology works. The effect of my implementation of reflective teaching resulted in students’ deeper involvement into the learning process. It is great for further planning of the curriculum but with more intensive tempos of teaching.
Reference
British Council. (2004). Reflective teaching: Exploring our own classroom practice. Web.
NLP Mind. Learning Skills: Mind Mapping. Complex of visual elements. Web.
Quirke, P. (2010). Reflective Teaching – Using NLP. Web.
Zeichner,K. M. & Liston, D. P. (1996). Reflective teaching: an introduction. London: Routledge.