"Like other professionals, teachers cannot become effective by following scripts. Instead, they need to create knowledge in use as they practice... knowledge does not exist apart from teacher and context." Thomas Sergiovanni, Moral Leadership

Reflective Practice: A New Paradigm for Professional Development Equity & Excellence in Higher Education

Agenda Welcome Definition of Reflective Practice A Critical Incident Protocol Early Outcomes from the Reflective Practice Demonstration in NH Implementation Assistance

Reflective Practice: A cognitive process and open perspective that involves a deliberate pause to examine beliefs, goals or practices in order to gain new or deeper understanding that leads to actions improving the learning of students.

Typical Professional Development Approach: Focus on AWARENESS Reflective Practice Multi Day Training, Courses One Day Training, Inservices

New Paradigm-Creating Learning Communities: Focus on Application and Synthesis Reflective Practice Multi Day Training, Courses One Day Training, Inservices

In other words... Reflective Practice is an in-depth conversation open about what we do, how it works, and why we do it… so that our students are able to learn more effectively in our classrooms

A Foundation of Reflective Practice: Protocols A set of guidelines Clear role definitions Common elements: Presentation Clarifying and Probing Questions Artifacts Group discussion, excluding presenter Reflection/debrief

Reflective Practice: From Awareness to Action Builds on the strength and wisdom of teaching colleagues Provides opportunities to discuss new strategies before, during and after implementation Supports critical thinking Encourages innovation Enhances learning for ALL students

How Reflection Impacts Practice See ourselves as continually growing Teaching becomes a connective activity We learn to speak about what we do--we discover our voice from Stephen Brookfield “Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher”

Practicing a Protocol: Talking about Teaching and Learning using the critical incident protocol What is the best (or worst) experience you ever had in teaching?

The Critical Incident Protocol Write about a “critical incident” Choose one person to be the presenter during the protocol One person should keep the group on track – the Coach Ask the presenter to present the incident to your triad Listen only -- then ask “clarifying” questions As presenter listens, the other members raise probing or analytical questions Presenter takes notes on ideas that “resonate” with him/her Presenter then responds to what was heard Group engages in a dialogue Debrief

Steps of Brief Critical Incident Protocol Introduction – 5 minutes Clarifying questions – 5 minutes Discussion – 10 minutes Presenter reaction – 5 minutes De-brief the protocol – 5 minutes

De-Briefing the Protocol What do you think the purpose of the protocol structure is? Can you see any benefit to getting together with colleagues to talk about your college teaching using protocols like this? What might be the barriers to doing that? What resources and supports might you need?

De-Briefing the Critical Incident Protocol What was the experience like for the person presenting? For the “consulting” faculty? Even if you didn’t present, what did you get out of it? What was hard about doing the protocol? How is it different from an informal discussion?

Reflective practice IS Non-judgmental Collaborative Equitable Helpful Positively focused A guide for effective communication Structured

Reflective Practice is NOT Judgmental Required Haphazard Supervision or evaluation Rigid Hierarchical

Reflecting Alone The Autobiography of ME as Learner and Teacher Learning Logs Teaching Logs Videotaping your own teaching Watching others teach

Reflecting with a partner exchanges Observing one another as a “critical friend” Journal sharing

Reflecting with a group Using “protocols” Critical Incident Consultancy Tuning Looking at student work Planning instruction/curriculum Addressing broad educational issues

Early Results from NH “A switch in attitude to OUR students, not YOUR students”. “We see a greater openness to vary educational practices as a result of feedback from reflective practice groups”. “There is a greater willingness to use technology to adapt teaching to student’s needs”.

Research Findings RP groups are more satisfying than other professional development activities because: It is continual It is focused on their own teaching and their own student’s learning It takes place in a small group of supported and trusted colleagues within their own school.  (Dunne, Nave and Ellis, Phi Delta Kappan Research Bulletin, 12/2000)

Implementation Assistance Reflective Practice materials: Training and on- going support A Reflective Practice Toolkit for Coaches

Role of the Reflective Practice Coach Establish group norms Keep groups on track with the protocol Keep time Support constructive discussion Mediate conflict Support group with logistics

Additional Resources National School Reform Faculty: videos, on-line “virtual protocols”, articles, links Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher by Stephen Brookfield Reflective Practice: Creating Capacities for School Improvement by Montie, York-Barre, Kronberg, Stevenson, Vallejo and Lunders

Thank You! Cate Weir Institute on Disability University of NH 10 Ferry Street Concord, NH (v/tty) Kirsten Tilney Institute on Disability University of NH 10 Leavitt Lane Durham, NH