Evans, L. A. (2016, November 30). Review of Readings for reflective teaching in early education, by J. Colwell & A. 
Pollard (Eds). Education Review, 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/er.v23.2029  

November 30, 2016 ISSN 1094-5296 

 

 
Colwell, J., & Pollard, A. (Eds). (2015). Readings for reflective teaching in early education. London, UK: 

Bloomsbury Publishing. 
 

Pp. 397                                                                              ISBN: 978-1-4725-1264-2 
                

 

Reviewed by Lesley Anne Evans 
University of Dayton 

 
For the last generation of teachers, 

their first year of teaching was defined by The 
First Days of School by Wong and Wong (1998), 
a text that set the stage for future teachers by 
establishing expectations and approaches in 
the classroom. This seminal book has been 
replaced by a new generation of books, 
including the First Six Weeks of School by 
Kriete, Denton, and Anderson (2015) and 
Teacher Like a Champion by Doug Lemov 
(2010). Missing from this new generation of 
books are opportunities for focused reflection 
that capitalize on the role of teacher as 
professional educator. As a resource for 
preservice and beginning career teachers, 
Readings for Reflective Teaching in Early Education 
is part of a series of books that fills this gap. 
Similar to Wong and Wong’s (1998) book for 
new teachers, Readings for Reflective Teaching is 
designed to direct teachers during their first 
year or in the early years of their teaching 
career. In contrast, however, Readings for 
Reflective Teaching is not limited to the start of 

http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/er.v23.2029


Education Review /Reseñas Educativas 
 

 

2 

the academic year and allows for growth 
beyond the first few days or weeks of school.  
Editors Jennifer Colwell and Andrew Pollard 
(2015) have brought together works the major 
voices of education (Dewey, Piaget, Skinner, 
Vygotsky) and more recent writers who have 
posed questions to current issues in education. 
The strength of this text is the dedication of 
the editors in selecting works that speak to the 
entire spectrum of educator topics, from 
professionalism to the process of teaching and 
conditions for learning to teaching for 
learning.  

In past texts for neophyte educators, 
the focus has been limited to application in the 
classroom, particularly specific classroom 
management strategies. This text draws the 
reader in with writings that consider the role 
of educator as reflective in practice. The 
content of the text is balanced between the 
required theoretical readings for preservice 
teachers and the current state of teaching. 
Topics on how to help novice teachers are 
addressed through short summaries or 
directives, along with guiding questions at the 
start of each reading. The authors encourage 
readers to focus on reading through the lens 
of an educator. For example, in the chapter 
focusing on the writing of B. F. Skinner (1954) 
the reader is directed to consider the “the 
implications of behavioralism for the role of 
the teacher” (Colwell & Pollard, 2015, p. 24). 

In part two of the first section, new 
teachers are encouraged to step outside 
themselves and read the works of leaders in 
the field of education (Vygotsky, Piaget, 
Skinner) as an exercise in understanding 
learner development.  This is tied into the 
prior section (part one, section one) that 
encourages a review of professionalism, 
beyond the action and character of a teacher 
but included the concepts of accountability 
and quality. Throughout the text, Colwell and 
Pollard (2015) validate that the act of teaching 
is not just setting the stage for learning but 
demonstrate how teaching is designed to 
support learning. Section three considers the 
balance between the curriculum, planning, 

pedagogy and assessment.  A considerable 
strength of this text is the inclusion of a 
section on assessment that recognizes the 
importance of the action and implications for 
future lessons. The use of assessments is 
multifaceted, including assessment for 
learning, for feedback to learners, and for 
progress, and Colwell and Pollard’s selection 
of readings for this section encompasses all of 
those views. 

As the profession has changed to 
include more opportunities for reflection in 
terms of individual teacher goals as well as in 
the use of pre and post meetings for teacher 
evaluation, this text allows new teachers to 
develop their career with a sense of 
connection to theory and with some reflection 
on practice. The expectations of the new 
generation of teachers requires short bursts of 
information that spur thought and reflection; 
this text capitalizes on short focused readings 
that allow for deep thinking and engaging 
directives.   

Although the text covers a range of 
topics from professional to teaching and 
planning to instructing, there are a few topics 
that appear to be absent. Writings reflective to 
the needs of diverse learners or sections 
devoted to helping new teachers explore their 
views on differentiation in both teaching and 
assessment are missing. Perhaps this is 
intentional on the part of the authors, as these 
may be better covered in texts designed for 
teachers beyond the first year. However, as the 
diversity of classrooms change, the diversity of 
learners must be explored. The use of 
standardized teacher performance assessments 
(i.e. edTPA) that require preservice teacher 
candidates to differentiate instruction suggest 
that resources for beginning year teachers 
should also include this concept. 

Colwell and Pollard’s text is well 
designed for those new to the profession, but 
considering the text’s scope, it should be used 
with caution with preservice or teachers in 
training. The focus of Readings for Reflective 
Teaching in Early Education is based on deep 
thinking behind the practice and philosophy of 



Review of Readings for Reflective Teaching by L. Evans   

 

 

3 

teaching. Absent from the text are quick 
suggestions or strategies from experienced 
teachers. As the readings and guiding 
questions require the reader to develop a sense 
of opinion, based on their experiences current 
practicing teachers would bring the most to 
the table and discussion.  For new teachers 
who are struggling with the daily interactions 
and structure in the classroom, supplementing 
the Reading for Reflective Teaching is suggested 

with more hands on approach books (Kriete, 
et al., 2015; Lemov, 2010; Wong & Wong, 
1998). As a text in the Reflective Teaching 
Series, Colwell and Pollard (2015) have 
successfully captured voices from the 
profession that allow newer teachers the 
opportunity to develop philosophy, which will 
help them to develop practice.  
 

 
 
References  
 
Kriete, R., Denton, P., & Anderson, M. (2015). The first six weeks of school, 2nd ed. Turner Falls, MA: 

Center for Responsive Schools. 
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion: 49 Techniques that puts students on the path to college. San 

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (1998). How to be an effective teacher: The first days of school. Mountain View, 

CA: Harry K. Wong Publishing. 
 
About the Reviewer 
 
Lesley Anne Evans, PhD, is the Teacher-in-Residence at the University of Dayton. She serves as 
full time faculty in Early Childhood Education. Currently she teaches undergraduate course in Early 
Childhood Education focusing on Math Methods and student teaching. At the graduate level, she 
teaches courses on Educational Research. Her research topics include teacher selection, 
differentiation, and teacher preparation. Prior to teaching at the University of Dayton, she taught in 
grades K-5 serving as a classroom teacher and gifted intervention specialist.    
 

  



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