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Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher
1996 Winner of the Cyril O. Houle World Award for Literature in Adult Education
"[Brookfield] gently demystifies critically reflective learning and teaching with dozens of practical examples from the classroom in different scholarly fields. Lucid, wise, jargon-free, personal and fluently written. Required reading for educators of adults everywhere and for all faculty development programs."
-- Jack Mezirow, emeritus professor of adult education, Teachers College, Columbia University
Building on the insights of his highly acclaimed earlier work, The Skillful Teacher, and applying the principles of adult learning, Brookfield thoughtfully guides teachers through the processes of becoming critically reflective about teaching, confronting the contradictions involved in creating democratic classrooms, and using critical reflection as a tool for ongoing personal and professional development.
"[Brookfield] gently demystifies critically reflective learning and teaching with dozens of practical examples from the classroom in different scholarly fields. Lucid, wise, jargon-free, personal and fluently written. Required reading for educators of adults everywhere and for all faculty development programs."
-- Jack Mezirow, emeritus professor of adult education, Teachers College, Columbia University
Building on the insights of his highly acclaimed earlier work, The Skillful Teacher, and applying the principles of adult learning, Brookfield thoughtfully guides teachers through the processes of becoming critically reflective about teaching, confronting the contradictions involved in creating democratic classrooms, and using critical reflection as a tool for ongoing personal and professional development.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 31, 2018
I am in the Reflection Fellows program where I work, and we are discussing this book next week. I thought it was good, focusing on various of reflecting on your teaching, and then dealing with the ramifications of those reflections (which can lead to imposter syndrome, for instance.) I liked reading about how he dealt with confronting his own assumptions in particular.
August 5, 2011
Do you want the good news first or the bad news? Ok here's the bad news. The author does not explain how a teacher would be "critically reflective" and still teach his subject matter. He has all of this stuff about critical reflection and at the end of the day I just want to know when the students would ever be taught stuff. He also has disregard for traditional learning models (like the lecture) and is convinced that the democratic model of dialogue, learning journals, and making sure that minorities (racial, and gender emphasized) do not feel left out. On top of that he sometimes adopts a sniveling attitude where he berates himself about his mistakes (he is trying to model openness but I think it sounds sniveling). This guy suffers from "liberal white man" guilt. And in a bad way. My biggest complaint is that all of the stuff he recommends is just not realistic. There is no way any teacher could do all of these things or should do all of the things he suggests. Throughout
the book I rolled my eyes and smirked at the author many times.
Here is the good news. 1. He does a fairly adequate job explaining what critical reflection is. 2. Even if a teacher disagreed with his fundamental ideas many of his methods would be useful. 3. Not all of these need to be done. Anyone with common sense will mix and match them. 4. He claims his book is for adult education but many of his ideas apply to other fields. 5. His writing is easy to understand, and he does not go out of the way to sound smarter then he really is.
I bought this book because I want to teach in South Korea, and I got it at discount price. I am not an experienced teacher, but could tell that doing his whole system probably would not work. But doing bits of his system at different times will probably help reveal faulty assumptions, and bad practices that need to be improved. That is itself makes this book reading.
However you will have to put up with much silliness to get to the treasure.
the book I rolled my eyes and smirked at the author many times.
Here is the good news. 1. He does a fairly adequate job explaining what critical reflection is. 2. Even if a teacher disagreed with his fundamental ideas many of his methods would be useful. 3. Not all of these need to be done. Anyone with common sense will mix and match them. 4. He claims his book is for adult education but many of his ideas apply to other fields. 5. His writing is easy to understand, and he does not go out of the way to sound smarter then he really is.
I bought this book because I want to teach in South Korea, and I got it at discount price. I am not an experienced teacher, but could tell that doing his whole system probably would not work. But doing bits of his system at different times will probably help reveal faulty assumptions, and bad practices that need to be improved. That is itself makes this book reading.
However you will have to put up with much silliness to get to the treasure.
August 21, 2015
I'm frustrated by the nature of a negative review I've just read about this book and feel I have to stick up for it. Certainly there is little discussion surrounding more 'traditional' teaching methods like the lecture- this would be because the author wishes to remove traditional lecturer-student power heirarchies. Another criticism was that if the lecturer is concentrating on equality and diversity and other aspects of critical pedagogy then how can there possibly be time to deliver the specialist content. Firstly- critically reflective practice is entrenched in practice rather than an add on to be used her and there. Secondly, the review in general seems to have a respect for classical humanist teaching where teacher-centric content is respected rather than questioned. We don't pour knowledge into students, they aren't empty receptacles waiting for our wisdom. It's our job to activate their wisdom. Rote learning is certainly something our children have to suffer in the current school system- adult learning is not so and shouldn't be so (I wouldn't teach if it was). I found this book inspirational- a tool for our own critical reflection but also, perhaps more importantly, a tool for critical thinking skills in our students - let's not forget that education should challenge the status quo, should be progressive in outlook- well that's what this brilliant book does!
January 2, 2020
Adheres to the teaching philosophy that the student's ego must be preserved by all means (thank goodness current education thinkers are currently dispelling that notion) and, with that in mind, it falls to the instructors to engage in critical assessment of their methods because if something is not working right in the lesson, course, or classroom, it's only up to them to remedy the situation. Brookfield depends on spiritualism as guide (I felt all crunchy granola inside while reading it). Not a book for the non-religious--irksome in that regard.
A positive is that he has a wonderful narrative style and a calming, reassuring voice, which I loved, so I didn't mind reading it even though I did not agree with teaching philosophy in the main.
A positive is that he has a wonderful narrative style and a calming, reassuring voice, which I loved, so I didn't mind reading it even though I did not agree with teaching philosophy in the main.
December 24, 2012
I started the book very positively, and enjoyed the conversational tone it was written. What I liked about the book was the anecdotal parts - I do learn by example, so those examples were much more valuable than any sort of advice. However, towards the end, there is less of that and more on advice, theory, and a good deal of warnings of what might face the teachers who want to practice critical reflection. Based on such warnings, there are two possibilities: either I did not understand how to become critically reflective or I do not see why it could be so dangerous... At the end, it might be my naiveté as a new teacher. Finally, there is one chapter where Mr. Brookfield talks about how he learned swimming - this is the most insightful chapter of all, and just for this part, it is worth reading.
July 21, 2017
I'm generally pretty liberal about race-related stuff, so no, my beef with this book is not that it's "too liberal." My beef is that this is the kind of white liberal guilt/white savior complex, wrapped up in a hearty portion of "I need my students to like me!!," that makes me want to hit my head against a wall. I'm reading this with a group of other English Comp instructors, and while I appreciate the practical discussion suggestions, I'm additionally at a loss as to how I can practically incorporate Brookfield's exercises, since they seem to be geared mainly towards "let's talk about the patriarchy!"-type discussions and not "let's talk about writing topic sentences!"
I wanted this to be good... really, I did... but I think Friere is still the classic, and truthfully more useful, text on the subject.
I wanted this to be good... really, I did... but I think Friere is still the classic, and truthfully more useful, text on the subject.
started-and-stalled
March 25, 2014I'm not sure I'm going to like this one, but I bet it's going to be good for me! I'm not accustomed to thinking of power dynamics or assumptions that may get in the way of my effectiveness as a teacher. If persist and I work hard, I may be able to help others too. I hope to be able to connect it to What Our Stories Teach Us and some of MaryEllen Weimer's work to help create a new article type for our teaching journal!
September 27, 2009
I just began this for a reading group of former Teaching Scholars on my campus as a way for us to continue to keep in touch with one another and the SoTL literature. Although I haven't made it very far into the text, I am already questioning some of my practices and deeply held assumptions, and I am someone who regularly subjects my courses to critical review. I'll try to post a more thorough review once I'm finished with it.
February 4, 2008
This is the book I use when creating student assessments--self-evaluations, clinical evals, reflection pieces, end of semester assessments. For anyone trying to get people to really look at what they're doing, learning, and where they need to go with their education.
April 20, 2010
The author had some interesting ideas, I found his main points useful, and even though I don't always see how in reality it would be feasible to do CIQs every week, it certainly gave me new ideas. His excerpts from actual experiences help ground his ideas/suggestions for me.
June 22, 2019
Informative and practical
The update publication includes ways of using social media and technology to assist in teaching and professional development. Brookfield describes the process of critical reflection and how it can be implemented structurally.
The update publication includes ways of using social media and technology to assist in teaching and professional development. Brookfield describes the process of critical reflection and how it can be implemented structurally.
July 13, 2010
Excellent book full of great ideas for teachers.
May 4, 2011
Practical ways to be more reflective in a teaching role. If it seems a bit dry at the beginning keep going.
February 10, 2020
Took two courses with Dr. Brookfield and this is the Bible for teaching critical theory. Loved it and enjoyed studying with the master.
December 4, 2012
Very insightful volume.
August 10, 2015
2.5 (last couple of chapters were nice)
November 11, 2014
This was an assigned text for my Masters in Curriculum. Reading chapters was generally a chore. Avoid if you're reading curriculum books for entertainment.
January 15, 2025
The motivations in this book for why an educator should become a critically reflective teacher deeply resonate with me, and are instructive in all aspects of life. Below is my favorite paragraphs.
(1) It Grounds Us Emotionally
Critical reflection also grounds us emotionally. When we neglect to clarify and question our assumptions, and when we fail to research our students, we have the sense that the world is governed by chaos. Whether or not we do well seems to be largely a matter of luck. Lacking a reflective orientation we place an unseemly amount of trust in the role of chance. We inhabit what Freire (1993) calls a condition of magical consciousness. Fate or serendipity are seen as shaping educational process, rather than human agency. The world is experienced as arbitrary, as governed by a whimsical God.
When we think this way we are powerless to control the ebbs and flows of our emotions. One day a small success causes us to blow our level of self-confidence out of all proportion. The next, an equally small failure (such as one bad evaluative comment out of twenty good ones) is taken as a devastating indictment of our inadequacy. Teachers caught on this emotional roller coaster, where every action either confirms their brilliance or underscores their failure, cannot survive intact for long. Either they withdraw from the classroom or they are forced to suppress (at their eventual peril) the emotional underpinning to their daily experiences. So the critically reflective habit is connected to teachers' morale in powerful ways.”
(2) It Increases Democratic Trust
Trust is the thread that ties these practices together. Through their actions teachers build or diminish the amount of trust in the world. Coming to trust another person is the most fragile of human projects. It requires knowing someone over a period of time and seeing their honesty modeled in their actions. College classrooms provide the conditions in which people can learn to trust or mistrust each other. A teacher who takes students seriously and treats them as adults shows that she can be trusted. A teacher who emphasizes peer learning shows that it's important to trust other students. A teacher who encourages students to point out to her what about her actions is oppressive, and who seeks to change what she does in response to their concerns, is a model of critical reflection. Such a teacher is one who truly is trustworthy.
(1) It Grounds Us Emotionally
Critical reflection also grounds us emotionally. When we neglect to clarify and question our assumptions, and when we fail to research our students, we have the sense that the world is governed by chaos. Whether or not we do well seems to be largely a matter of luck. Lacking a reflective orientation we place an unseemly amount of trust in the role of chance. We inhabit what Freire (1993) calls a condition of magical consciousness. Fate or serendipity are seen as shaping educational process, rather than human agency. The world is experienced as arbitrary, as governed by a whimsical God.
When we think this way we are powerless to control the ebbs and flows of our emotions. One day a small success causes us to blow our level of self-confidence out of all proportion. The next, an equally small failure (such as one bad evaluative comment out of twenty good ones) is taken as a devastating indictment of our inadequacy. Teachers caught on this emotional roller coaster, where every action either confirms their brilliance or underscores their failure, cannot survive intact for long. Either they withdraw from the classroom or they are forced to suppress (at their eventual peril) the emotional underpinning to their daily experiences. So the critically reflective habit is connected to teachers' morale in powerful ways.”
(2) It Increases Democratic Trust
Trust is the thread that ties these practices together. Through their actions teachers build or diminish the amount of trust in the world. Coming to trust another person is the most fragile of human projects. It requires knowing someone over a period of time and seeing their honesty modeled in their actions. College classrooms provide the conditions in which people can learn to trust or mistrust each other. A teacher who takes students seriously and treats them as adults shows that she can be trusted. A teacher who emphasizes peer learning shows that it's important to trust other students. A teacher who encourages students to point out to her what about her actions is oppressive, and who seeks to change what she does in response to their concerns, is a model of critical reflection. Such a teacher is one who truly is trustworthy.
December 21, 2024
This book had some great parts. When it was good, it was really good. However, the author is just too self-flagellating for me. In many portions, he discusses his own racist and patriarchal tendencies. But he holds on to many neo-Marxist views that state he can never overcome them. I reject those theories outright.
This isn't to say that educators shouldn't be aware of racial grievances or that we should not be conscious of how power plays into the interactions with our students. But I seriously believe the author believes he is racist simply because he is white.
When Dr. Brookfield actually discussed how to be a reflective teacher the book shined. Unfortunately, you have to dig through his self-pity to find those nuggets.
This isn't to say that educators shouldn't be aware of racial grievances or that we should not be conscious of how power plays into the interactions with our students. But I seriously believe the author believes he is racist simply because he is white.
When Dr. Brookfield actually discussed how to be a reflective teacher the book shined. Unfortunately, you have to dig through his self-pity to find those nuggets.
June 27, 2020
Outstanding! A perfect book for educators asking learners to dig deeper into their learning. A great resource for teachers wanting to engage learners in new ways through group discussions and writing. I appreciate how Brookfield examines his own educational practices both flawed lessons and discussions and effective strategies; he also reflects upon how he behaves as a learner rather than the teacher. The content of the book connect with the current narrative focused on race and education in our country. Read this book!
November 17, 2020
Using critical theory and explorations of power as a foundation for exploring one's teaching, this book provides important prompts for individual and collective reflection on teaching. The need to explore our own teaching from multiple angles and perspectives is essential to understanding how we can support equity and inclusion in the classroom. Read as part of a book group, I appreciated how this book sparked many conversations and explored concepts that were relevant even (if not more so) given the state of higher education during this global pandemic.
January 29, 2020
Worth reading as it makes you THINK. There are some practical suggestions, but overall, I don't think it's meant to be full of practical suggestions, but more to encourage a way of thinking about your own teaching and what influences your decision-making.
February 13, 2024
I enjoy the 2017 edition because, unlike other texts on the subject, Brookfield simplifies language, steps away from theory, and actually reflects on his own practice. I was looking for a more accessible overview of these concepts and I found it with this book.
Want to read
June 15, 2021Ccu resource on teaching adult learners
February 13, 2020
A really inspiring book, technical, academic of course but still good, despite being a bit dry at times. Still filled with good information for anyone who teaches.
March 14, 2020
Gave me a lot to think about in my own teaching practice. Not enough practical information.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews