A critical reflection of my collaborative learning journey in a South African pre-service teacher education film study module

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the process of understanding myself and my pre-service teacher education students better through my lecture reflections and deliberations with critical friends as I taught a South African film entitled Tsotsi. Conversations with colleagues deepened my analysis as I was challenged to revisit my musings on lecture reflections, and to probe facets of my background that influenced my responses to students. At the outset, I believed that my learning lay in the film. I now realise that I could have engaged in the process with any text. My learning happened not through the film, but in beginning to understand how my socio-cultural background influences my pedagogy. My reflections along with colleagues’ comments served as the link between myself and my classroom practice. I explore the question: What did I learn about myself in relation to my students through lecture reflections and my engagements with colleagues?