ABSTRACT
Like Carrie, I worry about what my students know and whether or not they really know it. Also like Carrie, I believe that engaging my students in the process of reflection will make ‘full understanding’ more possible. But because my students are future teachers and because I conceptualize reflection in teaching in a very particular way, I would extend Carrie’s argument even further. According to my definition, the reflective teacher is one who questions and examines, as much and as often as possible, the reasons behind and the implications of her knowledge, beliefs, and practices. She recognizes teaching as a moral and political act and, therefore, tries always to teach with ‘tact’ (Van Manen, 1991), to interpret events and ideas from multiple perspectives, particularly those of her students, to temper her judgments, and to aim her efforts toward the enhancement of social justice. Since I believe that reflection in teaching is not only a means for coming to know, but also a means for monitoring the moral and ethical ramifications of that knowledge, preparing my students to be reflective about their work is my primary purpose as a teacher educator.
