Reflective practice helps teachers by:

• A. It increases workload with no clear outcomes.
• B. It focuses only on student outcomes.
• C. It identifies strengths and gaps, informing goals, and supporting iterative improvement.
• D. It is a one-time activity at the end of the year.

Answer: (C)

Reflective practice is an ongoing process in which teachers examine their instructional choices, classroom dynamics, and student learning data to understand what worked and what didn’t. The best answer captures that it identifies both strengths and gaps, which then helps teachers set meaningful goals and pursue repeated cycles of improvement. By looking at evidence from student work, assessments, and feedback, teachers can decide which strategies to keep, modify, or try next, creating a plan for continuous growth. This approach yields clearer progress because reflection directly informs action steps and future lessons, rather than being a one-off activity or focusing on outcomes without addressing teaching practices. It’s a steady, data-driven process that drives iterative refinement throughout the year.