Teaching and Learning: Reflective Journal on Teaching Pedagogy of the 21st Century

Running Head: TEACHING AND LEARNING 0
Teaching and Learning
Reflective Journal on teaching and learning
(Student details :)
11/22/2018

Teaching and Learning 1
Reflective Journal on Teaching and Learning
This reflective journal based on teaching as well as learning in an intercultural environment
that will reinforce my teaching pedagogy according to the 21st century. This also emphasizing
on an innovative pedagogy of 21st century, four C’s of teaching include critical thinking,
collaboration, communication and creativity (Beetham & Sharpe, 2013). The context of
reflective paper is that all the teachers must understand their all students as individual,
cultural and social human beings who carry this diversity of the learning process and
cognitive abilities (Concordia University, 2013). According to me the in the whole process of
learning and teaching student is the most important entity rather than learning materials or
other assigned tasks to them (Henriett & Máté, 2013). Further I have used Gibbs reflective
model (Gibbs, 2015) to reflect my experiences related to teaching and learning.
Being a teacher, I have also enjoyed an experience of a student because i have learned a lot
while I was teaching my students. Additionally, I have learnt both from experiencing lecturer
ship and the certification courses which have pursued in update my skill set. Hence, i feel
highly confident presently through my experience that I am able to teach under-graduate
(UG) level students easily.
I would like to share one of my most surprising learning as my stage fear has vanished and i
have become an excellent teacher as per my students’ viewpoints. Initially, I used to very
uncomfortable while speaking in front of even tiny groups of 7-8 peoples. Now, I have
developed my communication in a way that I am capable to speak effectively in front of a
bulky group sitting in a large classroom or seminar room.
I have also learned to grab and scale the understanding level of my students’ with their
expressions. Besides, I am very good at dynamically interact with the students in the formal
as well as less formal individual interactions.
In this context, I would like to quote this incident of my own career in teaching; initially I
was not this much confident and dynamic in my personality when I was not having expertise
in my area or subjects. Later then, when I realised that the base of my building confidence is
my concrete knowledge about the subject. Hence, I started working on my academic as well
as communication skills and what I have got from that practice is confidence of speaking
relevantly in front of anyone, at any time. Additionally, I learnt that academic knowledge is

Teaching and Learning 2
of no use if proper effective communication is not integrated with the concrete knowledge
(Kereluik et al., 2013).
Hence, I realised that the four C’s of teaching are the most important factors of the teaching
pedagogy of the 21st century. These four C’s are critical thinking, communication,
collaboration and creativity (Kizel, 2016). Coming to the first C of this methodology, when I
was having adequate academic knowledge base, then I was able to critically think to evaluate
more facts about my base knowledge. Hence, critical thinking played a vital role in building
my academic profile. Communication is the second pillar of the successful teaching and
learning pedagogy of the 21st century (Banks, 2009). At my workplace, the development of
observation as well as comprehensive skills is important for being a successful teacher. One’s
capability to express their thoughts is an important aspect from the self-respect point of view,
and we can only understand each other’s viewpoints when we are having strong as well as
effective communication skills (Teach Make a Difference, 2018).
One important thing behind my success being a teacher is that when I was a student I was
always highly impressed by the apparently infinite pool of knowledge of my professors. I felt
the need of critical thinking in my teaching practice while my students have had thought-
provoking and amazing questions over the content of my teaching and I used to solve them
easily. I applied my critical thinking and creativity into my teaching practice, and as a result I
have been capable to use those previously asked questions by the class into subsequent
semesters during discussion points.
In this way, I realised that these four C’s of teaching have contributed a lot to my teaching
strengths being most essential practices of my so far teaching experience.
I think my teaching methodologies are the one of my great teaching strengths into the
classroom which promotes learning through teaching experience. Besides, I am so fortunate
that my area of expertise _____________, is having many straight inferences for an effective
teaching practice.
Moreover, teaching is more about those above mentioned C’s of teaching pedagogy because
integration of all above resulted in an amazing approach of teaching students (Benade, 2012).
I also learnt that an education or degree would be worthless if my students are unable to
apply the knowledge what they have learned, into their practical life as well as professional
career further than final exams. My way of promoting explicit knowledge of the teaching
course material used to include conducting activities over them (Slezackova, 2017). During