Don’t Waste My Time; Exploring the Reflective Journaling Requirement in the Student Teaching Experience

Abstract

For many years reflective journaling has been a required component of the student teaching experience at the University of Wyoming. Through action research, Amy Spiker, an instructor at the University of Wyoming, set out to explore the perceived disconnect between what faculty desires for and from student teachers and what student teachers view as a valuable form of reflection. She surveyed all student teachers assigned to her and then worked with a focus group of five students to explore the use of an interactive online platform (Edmodo.com) to create a place to dialogue with other students and to purposefully reflect. Her hope was to inform her own teaching and supervision of student teachers and to find ways to make reflection more interactive and meaningful through shared experiences and online conversations. Research findings revealed that journaling is viewed by students as a personal experience. In order for it to be meaningful it must be flexible according to student needs and preferences. By adding opportunities for dialogue related to reflection there is potential for deeper growth. Students enjoyed the process of the online journal format.