Reflective Teaching: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Every Friday

For K–12 educators, the pace of a school week can feel like a sprint. Between lesson planning, classroom management, meetings, and grading, it's easy for the “why” behind the work to get lost in the “what.” That’s where reflective teaching comes in—a practice that helps educators grow by pausing, assessing, and re-centering their intentions.

While it’s tempting to let Fridays be a mental checkout point, consider reclaiming a few minutes each week to ask yourself questions that foster clarity and professional growth. Here are five prompts to guide a powerful reflective practice you can do before you log off for the weekend. 

• Who did I connect with this week?

Strong relationships are the backbone of effective teaching. Think about which students you bonded with—was it a shared laugh, a moment of vulnerability, or a lightbulb during instruction? Reflect on these connections and identify who might need a little more of your attention next week.

• What did I learn about how I teach?

This could be something practical—like realizing a lesson flowed better with visuals—or something deeper, such as noticing how your tone impacted student behavior. Teaching is a two-way mirror. What did your students reflect back to you?

• Where did I feel out of alignment?

We all have moments when our actions don’t quite match our values. Maybe classroom management felt reactive instead of restorative, or grading became about speed over meaningful feedback. Recognizing misalignment isn’t about guilt—it’s about gentle course-correction.

• What energized me? What drained me?

Pay attention to your own well-being. Was it small group work that lit you up? An email avalanche that wore you down? Knowing what recharges or depletes you can help you make wiser choices about where to place your energy.

• What’s one small adjustment I can make next week?

Reflection isn’t just about hindsight—it’s about shaping foresight. Set one actionable, realistic intention based on your insights. It could be something as simple as greeting each student by name on Monday or trying a new discussion protocol.

Ritual, Not Chore

Making these five questions a Friday ritual doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Whether you jot down responses in a notebook, record a voice memo, or share them with a teaching team, the key is consistency. Small reflections spark big growth—and over time, they help you teach not just harder, but wiser.