When I saw the words “reflective teaching in TEFL”, what comes to mind? You might be thinking about looking in a mirror while you teach.
While there are times you might want or need to look in a mirror, it’s not going to be while you’re teaching, but instead before and after. And it won’t usually be a physical mirror. It might sometimes, though. Isn’t that fun?
As a TEFL teacher, new or experienced, you face new challenges every day. With so much to juggle, it’s easy to forget about your own teaching methods.
But reflecting on your teaching practices can spark real improvement and help you connect with your students in fresh ways.
Reflection is about looking back on your classes, spotting what worked, and figuring out what to change next time. When you pause to assess your work, you grow as a teacher and sharpen your skills.
There are a bunch of ways to reflect, like keeping a teaching journal or chatting with a trusted colleague about your lessons. These simple habits can have a big impact, letting you tweak your approach for every new group of learners.
If you’re interested in practical tips for self-reflection, you’ll find some helpful strategies—including keeping journals and getting feedback—at this page about reflective teaching.
The Importance of Reflection in TEFL Teaching
Reflective practice helps you look back at your lessons and spot ways to improve. By thinking carefully about your teaching, you can connect better with students and build your skills over time.
Why Reflective Practice Matters
Reflective practice means you take time to think about what you did in class, how students responded, and what worked best. This helps you see both your strengths and the areas you want to work on.
When you reflect, you become more aware of your teaching style and your students’ learning needs. You start to adjust your lessons based on classroom experiences, not just habit.
TEFL teachers who reflect regularly make changes that lead to a better classroom environment. You can use journals, peer feedback, or video recordings to help with reflection.
These methods make it easier to spot patterns and set clear goals for improvement, according to ITTT.
Impact on Teaching Effectiveness
When you reflect on your lessons, you learn what grabs your students’ attention and what falls flat. This lets you plan activities, pick materials, and guide group work in ways that boost engagement.
Reflective thinking helps you notice if some students need extra help or if certain exercises confuse the group. Small changes based on reflection make your lessons clearer and more effective.
Regular self-evaluation keeps you focused on student learning, not just delivering content. Some TEFL teachers keep teaching journals or ask for feedback so they can stay on track and update their strategies, as described at Bridge TEFL.
Reflection and Professional Growth
Regular reflection is a big part of professional development for TEFL teachers. When you think about past teaching and set new goals, you take charge of your own growth.
Reflection helps you spot patterns in your teaching and supports a growth mindset. Sharing your reflections with other teachers or mentors can lead to helpful feedback and new resources.
By building reflective habits, you become more confident and capable in the classroom. As new challenges come up, your ability to reflect and adapt will help you keep growing.
Types of Reflective Practice for TEFL Teachers
Reflective teaching uses different methods to help you improve your classroom skills and decision-making. Knowing when and how to reflect—during the lesson or after—can lead to better lesson outcomes and personal growth.
Reflection-in-Action
Reflection-in-action happens right in the middle of teaching. You notice what’s happening in your classroom and make changes on the fly if needed.
For example, if your students look confused during a grammar lesson, you might use more examples or slow down. You’re alert to student reactions and adjust your methods as you go.
This quick thinking keeps lessons on track and encourages student participation. It’s about staying flexible and willing to shift your approach when things don’t go as planned.
Reflecting in the moment helps you solve problems before they grow. You can get better at this with practice, observation, and by tuning in to classroom dynamics.
For more detail, check out this MEXTESOL journal article about three distinct styles of reflective practice in language teaching.
Reflection-on-Action
Reflection-on-action happens after your lesson ends. You look back, think honestly about what worked, and spot what needs work.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Were your lesson goals clear and reached?
- Did the activities support student learning?
- How did your classroom management strategies work?
Some teachers use journals, jot notes, or talk with colleagues to organize their thoughts. You might watch a classroom video or invite a mentor to observe your teaching.
This type of reflection helps you spot patterns and plan changes for next time. Regular reflection after the fact can help you grow and become more effective.
Self-Assessment and Self-Reflection
Self-assessment is when you honestly evaluate your own teaching and set clear goals to improve. Self-reflection digs a bit deeper, as you consider your feelings and beliefs about teaching too.
Try asking yourself:
- What did I do well today?
- What challenges did I face, and how can I handle them better next time?
- What new strategies can I try?
Keeping a reflective journal like or talking with a “critical friend” helps you stay focused and not miss important details. Self-assessment puts you in control of your growth, instead of relying only on outside feedback.
Exploring self-assessment and reflection can push you to try new strategies, improve student engagement, and build confidence. For more ideas, check out 15 ideas for reflective teaching and training.
Strategies for Effective Pedagogical Reflection
Reflecting on your teaching can help you spot areas you want to change and give you a sense of direction for your own growth. Two methods that work well are keeping a regular journal and setting clear improvement goals.
Maintaining a Reflective Journal
A reflective journal gives you a private place to look back on your day, lessons, and classroom moments. You can jot down what went well, what didn’t, and any surprises.
Over time, these notes act as valuable documentation of your teaching journey. To make journaling work for you, write a few sentences after each lesson or at the end of your day.
Focus on specific situations rather than general feelings. Try finishing these prompts:
- “Today, I noticed…”
- “One thing I would do differently is…”
- “When students struggled, I…”
Looking back on your entries, you’ll start to see patterns in your teaching. This practice supports a growth mindset and can boost your confidence over time. I’ve been doing this for years, and it has helped me enormously. You can check out the journal I actually use for my own classes here.
Setting Goals for Improvement
Setting clear and realistic goals for improvement keeps you focused on what you want to get better at in class. Start by picking one area to work on, like giving clearer instructions or using more student talk time.
Write your goal down and make it specific. “I want better lessons,” is a goal, yes, but it’s not really actionable. Instead, think of what steps you can take to reach that goal. For example, “I will ask two open questions in each class to encourage students speaking more in class.”
Try to review your goals once or twice each month. When you track your steps, it’s easier to stay motivated and notice growth.
Setting goals also helps you focus your reflection, making regular improvements part of your teaching routine (see more on reflective practice).
Collaborative Reflection and Peer Support
Working with fellow teachers helps you see your teaching from new angles. Getting feedback and sharing ideas supports your growth and makes lessons more effective.
Teaching can feel less isolated and more like a team effort when you collaborate.
Peer Observation and Feedback
Peer observation lets you visit each other’s classrooms and see different teaching methods in action. Watching your colleagues can give you fresh ideas for lesson planning, classroom management, and adapting to different student needs.
You also get to see how your peers create a positive learning environment. After the observation, giving and receiving constructive feedback really matters.
This isn’t about pointing out mistakes—it’s about helping each other get better. Feedback sessions should be honest, respectful, and specific.
For example, you might talk about which activities worked well or suggest ways to make explanations clearer. Many schools set up professional learning communities for regular peer observations.
In these groups, collaboration is encouraged so you can share strategies and help one another solve classroom challenges. Research shows that peer observation and analytic reflection together can boost your teaching skills and your confidence.
For more on this, see how peer observation and collaboration support teachers’ growth.
Role of a Critical Friend
A critical friend is a colleague who gives you honest and helpful feedback.
When you share lesson plans, classroom issues, or teaching ideas, your critical friend listens and helps you reflect. A good critical friend asks questions that make you think about your choices.
They might ask, “What did you want your students to learn from this activity?” or “How did you decide on this classroom rule?” They’ll also offer gentle constructive criticism when they spot ways you could improve.
This kind of support helps you become a more reflective teacher. Working with a critical friend can help you spot habits you never noticed, encourage you to try new approaches, and make your teaching more effective.
Critical friendships are common in collaborative reflection programs and can be part of wider collaboration among teachers. This could be among your fellow teachers at your school, or part of a mentorship program, or through professional organizations.
Implementing Changes Based on Reflection
Reflecting on your teaching isn’t just a box to tick—it’s how you find new ways to make students care and learn. Even small, focused changes can really upgrade your teaching style and the mood in your classroom.
Adapting Teaching Methods and Strategies
After a lesson, take a moment to notice which teaching methods actually connect with your students. Maybe group activities get them talking more than lectures ever could.
We’ve talked before about different pedagogical theories and methodologies. Try mixing up those strategies and see what sticks. Keep a journal or quick feedback log to track how each approach lands with your students.
This habit makes it easier to spot what’s working and what needs tweaking. If you see some students struggling, shake things up by adding more visuals, real-life examples, or breaking steps down further.
Adjust your methods gradually so students have time to catch on and you avoid chaos. According to ITTT, making changes in small steps lets you see what’s actually helping before you go further.
Enhancing Lesson Plans
Looking back at your lessons helps you spot what clicked—and what fell flat. After class, scan your lesson plans and pinpoint those spots where students lit up versus where they drifted off.
Use those notes to tweak your next lesson’s pace or structure. Throw in more interactive stuff like games, quizzes, or open discussions.
If some students need a little extra help, add a quick review at the start or finish. Build in some flexibility so you can handle unexpected questions or curveballs.
Writing clear learning goals in your plans keeps everyone focused, including you. Intentional lesson planning based on reflection leads to better learning outcomes for everyone in the room.
Improving Classroom Routines
Reflective teaching shines a light on weak spots in your classroom routines. If transitions drag or management feels shaky, it’s time for a closer look.
List out each daily procedure, like attendance, launching group work, or wrapping up class. After trying a new routine, ask students what helps them learn best. Their feedback is gold.
Tune up your routines as needed to keep things running smoothly. Your attention to these details really does make a difference in classroom flow and student engagement.
Let’s Sum Up
There are a lot of ways to become a better teacher. One of the cheapest and easiest is to honestly reflect on your classes. It costs you nothing but a little time. Well, and maybe a notebook or printer ink, depending on how you reflect.
But just reflecting on your classes isn’t enough; you have to make changes based on what you see. And that can be hard. Even for me – maybe especially for me – as a teacher with over 20 years of experience, it can be difficult to move out of the groove. Once you’ve gotten comfortable, you don’t necessarily want to push yourself.
But that what our students need. It’s our responsibility as teachers to meet our students where they are to help them on their English journey. We need to be better for them. So we reflect. And, hopefully, we grow.