Tools for Developing Reflective Skills

Abstract

Reflective thinking requires the continual evaluation of beliefs, assumptions, and hypotheses of the data. The resulting judgments are offered as reasonable integrations or syntheses of opposing points of view. Because they involve ongoing verification and evaluation, judgments based on reflective thinking are more likely to be valid and insightful than are beliefs derived from authority, emotional commitment, or narrow reasoning. (On John Dewey’s (1933) reflective thinking model, King and Kitchener, 1994, p. 7). In order to design effective lessons, arts educators must develop reflective thinking skills with which they carefully consider their students’ cultural contexts, fears, skills, interests, and contributions to the classroom dynamic. A primary pedagogical goal for mentor teachers and teacher educators is to lead and model the dance of reflection: on values that guide their teaching, shared roles as teacher and learner, presentational style, methodology, sequence, artistic authenticity, students’ backgrounds and abilities, and classroom dynamics. In this chapter, I explore ways in which arts educators, both novice and experienced, can further develop their reflective thinking and teaching skills. Specifically, I present four tools—river journeys, metaphor sculptures, portfolio goals, and videotaped teaching reflections—that have guided my music education students in their quest to develop reflective thinking and teaching skills. The chapter begins with a discussion of environmental conditions and habits of mind or personal traits necessary to engage with reflective thinking tools (in reflective thinking). While the examples I use to illustrate the reflective thinking tools come from a music education perspective, I make suggestions later in the chapter for applying each tool to other arts education domains. Developing and refining reflective thinking skills empower arts educators to monitor and assess their own teaching.