Reflective Practice: Using Feedback to Improve Teaching

What Reflective Practice Means in Early Childhood Education

Reflective practice is the habit of deliberately examining your own teaching, asking what worked, what did not, and why. In early childhood education, this habit is not optional — it is a professional standard embedded in the Child Development Associate (CDA) Competency Standards and expected by state childcare licensing boards. Every time you pause after an activity, read a supervisor's notes, or rewrite a lesson plan based on evidence, you are doing reflective practice.

Beginning teachers sometimes treat feedback as criticism. Skilled teachers treat it as data. The goal of this lesson is to help you use written instructor observation feedback as a structured tool for measurable growth.

Reading Observation Forms Strategically

Your instructor fills out an observation form during or immediately after a teaching session. These forms typically rate specific teaching behaviors on a numbered scale and include space for written comments. When you receive two completed forms — one from Lesson 4 and one from a later session — read them side by side rather than one at a time.

Start by highlighting every comment or suggestion that is specific and actionable. A specific comment names an observable behavior: "You gave directions once and moved on before checking for understanding." A general comment offers less traction: "Work on transitions." Both are useful, but the specific ones tell you exactly what to revise.

Next, sort each highlighted item by CDA Competency Standard area. The six CDA Competency Standards are: (1) Safety, Health, and Nutrition; (2) Physical and Intellectual Competence; (3) Social and Emotional Development; (4) Relationships with Families; (5) Program Management; and (6) Professionalism. Most feedback from a classroom observation will fall under Standards 2, 3, or 5. Sorting feedback this way keeps your professional development aligned with the framework employers and credentialing bodies use to evaluate you.

Writing a Structured Self-Reflection

A self-reflection is not a diary entry. It follows a predictable, evidence-based structure so that it can be read by a supervisor or included in your CDA Professional Portfolio. Use the three-part template provided:

Part 1 — What went well (with evidence). Identify one specific teaching moment that succeeded. "Evidence" means something you observed: children's verbal responses, their engagement with materials, a transition that ran smoothly. Avoid vague praise of yourself. Instead of "The kids seemed happy," write *"Eight of ten children remained at the table through the full five-minute activity, and three asked follow-up questions about the caterpillar life cycle."

Part 2 — What to change. Identify one moment you would do differently, rooted directly in a comment from one of the observation forms. Quote the feedback. Explain what you observed in your own behavior and what effect it had on children. This is not self-punishment; it is honest diagnosis.

Part 3 — The concrete revision. Describe a specific, implementable change to your activity plan. "Implementable" means another teacher could read your revision and carry it out. "I will ask for understanding" is vague. "After giving directions, I will ask one child to restate the steps before materials are distributed" is implementable.

Delivering the Revised Activity

Once your revised plan is written, you will deliver a five-minute activity to a small group of children while your instructor observes using the same observation form used in the earlier sessions. Using the same instrument is essential: it makes comparison valid. If the form changed, you could not know whether a higher score reflected better teaching or a different measuring tool.

Before you begin, review your own revision one more time. Identify the two or three specific behaviors you changed and mentally rehearse them. During the activity, focus on executing those changes — not on performing for the observer. Children respond to authenticity, and an instructor watching for growth will see it in the children's reactions as much as in your movements.

After the session, you and your instructor will complete a scoring comparison chart together. Transfer the scores from both observation forms onto the chart, indicator by indicator. You are looking for improvement on at least two indicators. If scores on those two indicators rose, you have documented measurable growth. If they did not, the comparison chart itself becomes useful data for your next reflection cycle.

Safety Considerations in Supervised Teaching

Even during a five-minute demonstration activity, standard childcare safety rules remain fully in effect. You are responsible for the physical safety of every child in your group for the duration of the activity:

• Supervision is continuous. Do not turn your back on children to write notes or consult your lesson plan. Have your plan memorized or posted at adult eye level where you can glance at it without losing visual contact.
• Materials must be age-appropriate. Before the session, check every material for small parts, sharp edges, or choking hazards. Materials for preschoolers generally follow guidelines for children age three and older, but always verify against your program's posted policy.
• Allergies and health plans are non-negotiable. If any child in your group has a documented allergy or health condition, review the care plan before introducing any food, sensory, or craft material — even in a brief activity.
• Incident reporting. If any injury or near-miss occurs during your practicum, report it immediately to your cooperating teacher and site supervisor according to the facility's written procedures. Reflective practice includes honestly documenting safety events.

Connecting Reflective Practice to Your Credentials

The CDA credentialing process requires you to submit a Professional Portfolio that includes a written philosophy statement and documentation of competence across all six Standard areas. The self-reflection skill you practice in this lesson is the same skill you will use to write those portfolio entries. State childcare licensing inspectors also routinely ask lead teachers to describe how they identify and address areas for improvement — your ability to answer that question clearly demonstrates professional readiness.

Reflective practice is a career-long habit, not a one-time assignment. Teachers who reflect systematically improve faster, adapt to new groups of children more readily, and build stronger relationships with supervisors and families.