Look in the Mirror. What Do You See?

Evaluate Your Overall “Self” Regularly Looking within, at your intent and at your “self,” is a great way to experience and evolve in the field of education. Have you ever examined yourself as an educator? Have you always waited for an outside evaluation that you could react to? Do you think you could look within, at your “self” , within this educator role?

The Science I Explored According to [Dr. Tabitha] Kirkland [a social psychologist at the University of Washington], reflection is a conscious process that is utterly shaped by unconscious processes. This is because your brain is always searching for models—its version of an algorithm-seeking shortcuts—to process the information that you are constantly being fed through your perception of the world. Your self-reflection is influenced by these automatic processes because the way we think of things is shaped by our expectations, which are formed by past experiences. Therefore, Kirkland notes, so many of our experiences end up being self-fulfilling. If someone struggles with anxiety, it may be that their anxious pattern of response is so ingrained they can’t get outside of the pattern enough to change it and see things objectively. They are stuck in a rut, so to speak. The long and the short of it? Find a healthy way to engage in self-reflection for you, and don’t neglect it, as in giving it over to the unconscious processes that will guide you on autopilot. As Dale mused, “When we become known to ourselves, it’s easier for us to see our patterns, deal with our own stuff, and see other people objectively.”[1]

A Situation The school year is coming to an end. In the school building a teacher begins noticing and even counting the days until summer break. Every person on staff is either ready to escape or trying to fit in new ideas before the students dismiss for summer break. This is a good time to reflect.

Self-Evaluation as an Educator For self-evaluation, we are focusing on how we see ourselves in relation to our role as educators. The end of the school year is as good a time as any to reflect. Here is some guidance on how you can reflect. Ask yourself these questions and write your answers in your journal. How did you feel physically during this past school year?

Did you feel bothered while doing the school routine every day? Or did you feel like you had a good variety of activities with your students throughout the year? Did you eat properly, or skip important meals? How did the rigor of the school year impact your health? Negative, neutral, or positive impact? How were your focus and completion skills this past year? Could you focus more on your student's success or give yourself a break because you show up at 100%? If you had a happiness meter from one to ten, where would you put your level of happiness during the school year? Were you happy on Sunday night or Monday morning? Did you feel connected to your students or colleagues, or did you feel lonely? Or neutral? DO you need to get better at connecting? Did you get time to pamper yourself, laugh with loved ones or friends, or did this role consume all your after-school moments? Are you excited to continue teaching? Would you change anything for yourself related to your career as an educator? Is there a person who just rubs you the wrong way? Since it’s your personal journal, feel free to vent on paper. Then toss it (shred it first) and forgive them. Say it with me: “Let me take a look at me.” Now see yourself in your favorite chair with your pen moving across the pages of your personal journal.

[1] Grace DeBusschere, “The science of self-reflection,” The Daily of the University of Washington, Updated May 25, 2017, http://www.dailyuw.com/wellness/article_44507f3a-40f1-11e7-9857-531d67530fae.html.