The Importance of Reflection

There are three important stages we have learned that promote thinking mathematically; Entry Phrase, Attack Phrase, and Review Phrase. They are very important and each phrase is vital to solve the solution successfully. The one stage that I felt that doesn’t get the most attention or isn’t focused on is the Review Phrase. The Review Phrase is a period where the students can check and reflect on their work. This allows students to improve and extend their thinking skills. 

           In today’s society, we are always in a rush; a rush to get to places, a rush to get things down and a rush to solve a question. This is reflected in the classroom, by students rushing through their work and tests. Once they finish a question, the majority of students do not go back to check it, and by this, they are losing an opportunity of learning. Checking and reflecting on your work allows you to understand where you can improve and discover new ways at looking at solving. The book, Thinking Mathematically, teaches you the importance of reflecting in numerous ways and strategies to do so. For example, reflect on the key ideas and recall your feelings during that moment. Remembering feelings will help trigger your thinking process in a wide variety of ways. When you are rushed you forget to enjoy the journey and forget to record certain things like, how you feel or your emotions during the process. Therefore, take a break and reflect on other students’ learning to gain a new perspective on solving. 

           Feeling rush isn’t the only problem why the majority of the students don’t enjoy the review phrase, but it is because we aren’t taught the purpose of it. When I was in school we were rarely taught how to reflect. The only time we reflected on something was in English, but you can reflect in everything you do! Reflection needs to become automatic to us and my learning the importance will help the students understand the benefits of reflecting. Students can identify what they did well by focusing on their strengths, what they failed at, what they need to change to improve their learning. 

The Importance of Reflection: 

1. Provides students with an opportunity to come up with new solutions and strategies to add to their tool belt to improve on their learning and help them when they are stuck. 

2. Reflection provides motivation and enjoyment while learning and it comes from reflecting on thoughts, feelings and emotions. It allows you to focus on the present. 

3. It allows you to understand and know the “why” aspect of solving problems. The majority of students focus on how and only the how, that they aren’t fully understanding what they are learning. Once you understand the material you can connect your previous knowledge to other certain situations. “Why” allows the students to see the importance of why they need to learn these concepts, theories and ideas, and by knowing the why it will make me more motivated to learn! 

4. Helps you grow and develop your learning process holistically! 

           Learning how to reflect it will help you create your internal monitor and assist you in becoming your questioner. By being able to ask certain questions to guide your thinking and develop your thinking processes. When you don’t ask yourself questions that will challenge you, it is mental laziness, as you are missing out on an opportunity of growing, gaining new knowledge and discovering new ways of thinking! The next blog will talk about developing into a questioner and developing an internal monitor. It’s never too late to learn and improve!