Reflect on Practice: What Strong Observation Evidence Can Look Like

Connect leadership, respectful environment, content knowledge, facilitation, and reflection to the actual choices students and teachers make during learning. For Reflect on Practice, the strongest preparation question is not “Did I mention it?” but “What student evidence will make this part of NCEES observable?”

A classroom micro-scenario

During the lesson, the teacher identifies a moment where reflect on practice should become visible, gathers evidence from students, and uses that evidence to decide the next instructional move.

Teacher moves that fit this component

• name the teacher move precisely
• identify the student action it should produce
• connect the evidence to a next decision

Evidence students can produce

• student behavior is observable
• an artifact or response exists
• the evidence affects instruction

What an administrator may be able to see

• lesson decisions that reflect prior evidence and documented reflection
• professional responsibilities supporting student access and continuity
• teacher explanation of how feedback or data informed the plan

What students might be doing

• benefit from routines, materials, or supports created through professional follow-through
• experience coherent expectations across lesson phases
• use feedback systems that the teacher has refined over time

What students might be saying

• “This routine helps us know what to do next.”
• “We use the same criteria when we revise.”
• “The feedback system makes the next step clear.”

Artifacts that can make evidence concrete

• reflection notes tied to instructional change
• family or team communication artifact when locally appropriate
• professional learning evidence connected to a classroom adjustment

Weak evidence vs. stronger evidence

Common missed opportunities

• Reflect on Practice is named in the lesson plan but no student behavior demonstrates it.
• The teacher can explain the intent, but the observer would have to infer too much because the evidence remains hidden.
• Only one student produces the evidence, so it is difficult to judge how broadly learning is occurring.
• The teacher collects information but the next instructional move does not respond to it.

Planning questions for Reflect on Practice

1. At what exact moment should Reflect on Practice become visible?
2. What should students be doing differently because this component is strong?
3. What student language would tell me the intended thinking is actually happening?
4. What artifact, response, or behavior can provide evidence beyond my own explanation?
5. What will I change if the evidence is weaker or stronger than expected?

Related NCEES components