My first journal entry on the use of the critical incidents

My first journal entry on the use of the critical incidents

The Critical Incident Technique is a useful strategy that is used to analyze situations that happen within the classroom as well as reflect upon them. The concept of reflection does not only mean thinking about what it has been done or not, but also trying to look for a possible solution when an unusual situation happens in the classes (Fernández González et al., 2003).

As regards my own teaching experience, one of my students, a ten-year-old boy, seemed to be apathetic in my classes. Therefore, I started to get close to him and I realized that what he needed was affection. I decided to pay more attention to his performance. As a result, he began to feel more interested in the subject and showed enthusiasm for learning English.

Additionally, whenever we are analyzing critical incidents, we need to take into account the following steps: setting the context in which they occur, describing the situation in detail, mentioning the possible causes, and pointing out the possible solutions to the given situation (Fernández González et al., 2003).

For instance, a seventeen-year-old boy handed in a home-made informal letter, and he signed it using one of his partners’ names. I did not realize that both letters look similar until I reached the end of them. I analyzed what could cause this critical incident, and immediately understood that he had cheated the assignment because he had not done it. Finally, I warned him not to do that anymore, and I encouraged him to be more sincere next time.

In conclusion, the use of critical incidents is a process that involves reflection, analyses and action (Fernández González et al., 2003). It allows teachers to look at what it has been done as well as to have the chance to find a solution to the critical incidents. On the whole, this way of working encourages teachers to better the processes of teaching and learning.




Reference

Fernandez González, J., Elórtegui Escartín, N. & Medina Pérez, M. (2003). Los incidentes críticos de la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza. Revista universitaria de Formación de Profesorado, 17- 001. Zaragoza, España: Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved September 2009, from http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/src/inicio/ArtPdfRed.jsp?iCve=27417107