Document, Reflect, Create: Why I Record My Life AND My Teaching
- David Lee
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
It had been about three years since I last saw my mom. Because of everything that happened in the last couple of years, she hadn’t even met my youngest child yet. When she finally visited, I wanted to be intentional about how I documented the experience. I didn't just take photos; I turned to videography.
For me, short films capture the essence of a moment—the emotions and depth—in a way that static images cannot. I don’t have any video footage of myself as a child; all our old VHS tapes were lost. That is why, now that I have a family, I try to record our experiences, big or small. Mixing and blending these clips into a visual storyline creates a priceless "portal to the past."
From Memory Keeping to Professional Growth
But there is a hidden benefit to filmmaking that I didn't expect: Reflection. When you sit down to edit a film, you are forced to process the moment. You interpret what happened and express your thoughts on the event. I realized that this same process applies perfectly to my work as an educator. When I create videos to showcase a unit or a project, I am not just making content; I am engaging in a continuous, iterative process of improving my teaching practice.
The Reflective Process
As John Dewey said, reflection is the "active, persistent, and careful consideration" of our beliefs and knowledge. By documenting my classroom, I am forced to ask the right questions about my instruction and identify what can be improved.
My process looks like this:
Review: I look at my unit planner, teacher feedback, and reflection notes on what students were able to do.
Analyze: I review the footage to see how the different learning activities worked together for a common purpose.
Create: I write a script or storyboard that includes recommendations for how we can improve the unit next year.
In many ways, creating these videos moves me through the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. It ensures that reflection isn't just something that happens at the end of the year, but is a continual practice of inquiry—analyzing why I teach what I teach.
Try It Yourself I encourage you to start documenting your work. Get footage of your students learning. Whether you create a short film or a blog post, the act of documenting will help you think critically about your instruction. Plus, it gives you a beautiful way to look back on how you inspired your students to improve as learners and human beings.
Resources Used:
Importance of Reflection as a Teacher: https://online.ewu.edu/degrees/education/med/curriculum-and-instruction/importance-of-reflection-as-teacher/
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