Gaining teaching experience as a teacher is not enough to provide automatic professional development, for we do not learn from experience as much as we learn from reflecting on that experience. Reflective practice involves instructors systematically looking at what they do, how they do it, why they do it, what the outcomes are in terms of student learning, and what actions they will take as a result of knowing all of this information. Such reflection is best completed in collaboration other teachers. Thus, experience combined with systematic reflection in collaboration with others can lead to professional growth so that we can become more effective teachers. In this plenary, I discuss what reflective practice is, how it can be accomplished, and what it can result in.

If a "picture is worth a thousand words," then a well-designed picture is worth a thousand more! Do you want to take more time to reflect on and document your teaching this year? Have you ever tried using photography to do this? Have you ever wished that your photos looked nicer? A basic knowledge of design principles could help with that! In this interactive workshop, groups will participate in a discovery activity to learn about seven key principles of design (pattern, contrast, emphasis, balance, proportion, harmony, and rhythm). We will continue by analyzing example photos that illustrate these principles to check comprehension. Participants will then use their new knowledge to complete a photo scavenger hunt, and in the process, reflect on their learning and teaching practice. At the end of the workshop, there will be time to share photos, discuss challenges and reflect on patterns. Participants will leave this workshop inspired to think like designers, use this modality to reflect on their practice, and maybe even take better photos as a result!

In this talk, the presenters will share their experiences of developing as teacher-advisors through participating in a 5- level advising course. Through their collaboration at University’s dormitory program, they could use that knowledge to enhance the student experience, autonomy and overall motivation (Goddard et al., 2010). In order to encourage reflection and promote learner autonomy in the dormitory, they changed the reflection journal format and transformed feedback sessions into goal-oriented advising sessions. In doing so, researchers also could reflect on their two-year journey of running the program and how the collaborative experience has helped them to put the theory of advising in language learning into practice. They will present the details of the project, challenges they experienced, results and some broader implications this may have. Time will be included for questions at the end of the presentation.

Update: This session has been moved to room 201.

We must enter, not evade, the tangles of teaching so we can understand them better and negotiate them with more grace, not only to guard our own spirits but also to serve our students well. This workshop invites participants on a reflective journey through the lens of the Reflective Practice Framework, which includes exploring a language teacher’s philosophy, principles, theory, practice, and critically reflecting beyond practice.

Reflective Teaching Practice is often understood to be an individual endeavor consisting of reflecting on and evaluating teaching moments, questioning personal beliefs about teaching and learning, and using student outcomes to inform professional development. This workshop will demonstrate the usefulness of collaboration between teachers, in the form of dialogic reflection and co-planning and reflection, in the Reflective Practice cycle. Participants will practice dialogic reflection and work through the process of co-planning and reflecting, then reflect on how both can be applied to their teaching practices and contexts. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with an understanding of the importance of collaboration in the reflective process and two straightforward methods of incorporating collaboration into their own Reflective Teaching Practice.

Collaborative caring is “creating relationships that honour the connections and the space [students and university teachers] need to more effectively continue to develop our capacities, insights and talents so that we might come closer to fully realising our personal and professional potential” (Sumsion, 2000, p.174). I believe it is important to take a care ethics perspective on collaboration in education. In discussing the aim of education, Noddings (2012) argued for a shift in focus from high test scores to that of helping students discover their strengths and purpose in life, which means that cooperation should be prioritized over competition. In this presentation, I seek to extend understanding of collaboration by drawing on my experience of collaborative caring as a lecturer in Singapore’s English teacher education. I refer to anecdotes from my English classes and qualitative student feedback I received between 2019 and 2022 to deduce the impact of caring methods.