Reflective Practice Creating Opportunities for Exploration and Growth 25 Industrial Park Road, Middletown, CT · (860) Connecticut State Department of Education · Division of Educational Programs and Services

SERC Today’s Framework Quiet signal Quiet signal Pair = shoulder partner Pair = shoulder partner Square = table group Square = table group Reflective Journal Reflective Journal

SERC How does exploring look? On the cover of your reflective journal, draw a picture of exploring.

SERC Pair-Share (Listening Practice) With your shoulder partner Partner A speaks for 30 seconds, while Partner B listens. Partner B speaks for 30 seconds, while Partner A listens.

SERC Pair-Share (Listening Practice) What does it mean to explore? How does exploring look? How do explore your classroom and/or your school?

SERC Images of Exploring

SERC What is reflective practice? Deliberate pause Open perspective Thinking process Examination of beliefs, goals, & practices New insights & understanding Actions that improve student learning

SERC What are the benefits? Opportunity to continuously learn Greater variety of perspectives New knowledge & understandings Efficacy increases Personal responsibilities for learning & improvement Strengthen relationships & connections Bridges between theory & practice Reduction in external mandates

SERC What are the characteristics of a reflective educator? Commit to continuous improvement Assume responsibility of learning Demonstrate thinking skills for inquiry Take action that aligns with new understanding

SERC What are the forms of reflective practice?

SERC What are the levels of reflection? Technical Focus – Techniques or methods Conceptual Focus – Techniques or methods – Goals Dialectical Focus – Techniques or methods – Goals – Ethical perspective

SERC Metaphors Write a metaphor for reflective practice Reflective Practice is…because…

SERC Team Reflection Reflection is not evaluation Feedback comes from the reflectee, not the reflector Effective listening and questioning is essential

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC Effective Listening

SERC When I Listen… When I listen I… My listening can help others reflect when I… My barriers to effective listening are… A new thought about my listening is…

SERC Providing Reflective Feedback Describe the behavior, not person Use observations, avoid inferring Seek to understand, not to judge Provide questions, not answers Consider other perspectives, rather than one way Restate what was said, not an interpretation Validate ideas, rather than oppose

SERC Pair-Share (Listening Practice) With your shoulder partner Partner A speaks for 15 seconds, while Partner B listens. Partner B speaks for 15 seconds, while Partner A listens.

SERC Pair-Share (Listening Practice) Provide constructive feedback to your partner on his/her listening skills.

SERC Types of Questions

SERC Types of Questions

SERC Types of Questions

SERC Essential Questions for Reflection Description – What Happened? What did I/team do? What did the student do? How was the environment constructed? What was the outcome of the meeting?

SERC Essential Questions for Reflection Analysis – Why? Why do I think this happened? How did this outcome compare to the intended outcome? How did I influence the outcome? What factors contributed to the outcome? How would the outcome be different with different factors? Essential Questions for Reflection

SERC Essential Questions for Reflection Meaning – So What? What did I/team learn? How could I/team improve? How does this change my beliefs or my future thinking? What other questions do I have?

SERC Essential Questions for Reflection Implication – Now What? What do I/team want to change for next time? When will I/team use this information? What will I/team design for next steps? How will this improve my/our practice? What questions, factors, or practices do I/we want to explore further?

SERC Team Interview (Structured Dialogue) In your team Person A speaks for 1 minute, while the team listens The team members ask Person A questions about what was said Person A responds to the team – (2 minutes for Q &A) Repeat the process for every person on the team

SERC Team Interview (Structured Dialogue) Upon what area can the team reflect? How can this reflection occur? When can this reflection occur?

SERC Something to Reflect on: Integrity Did we do what we said we would do? Examine what was done – Quality – Frequency – Compare to plan, mission, goals Examine reasons for non-completion or non-compliance

SERC Ways to Promote Reflection on Integrity The implementers of the process/plan establish standards List how it is known that the standard is met Establish a documentation tool (checklist, rubric) Regularly (weekly or monthly) use tool to evaluate the process/plan

SERC Ways to Promote Reflection on Integrity Select at random one case study Examine what was accomplished with that case using your standards Check what was done Collect data on the checklist over time on several random cases to look for patterns

SERC The Integrity of Our Team Silent Brainstorming – Silently write five standards for your process. – Pass the five to another team member, who can add one new idea. – Pass the list again and repeat until you receive your list back.

SERC The Integrity of Our Team Prioritizing – Select your top two favorite standards to share with the group. – Avoid repeating. – Given four dots, select your favorite standards from the group.

SERC Ways to Reflect Individual – Journaling – Mapping – Teacher Narratives – Teacher Portfolios – Metaphors – Reading with Reflection

SERC Ways to Reflect Partners – Coaching – Dialogue Journals – Structured Dialogue – Action Research – Weekly Reviews – Listening Practice – Observation Learning

SERC Ways to Reflect Small Groups – Reading Reflection – Metaphors – Talking Cards – Six Hats – Think Tank – Interactive Reflective Teaching – Teacher Support Groups – Teacher Dialogues – Video Clubs – Book Clubs – Reflection Roundtables

SERC Ways to Reflect School-wide – Coaching – Learning in Faculty Meetings – School-wide Study Groups – Philosophy Clubs – School Self-Review

SERC Ways to Promote Team Reflection Observation Interviewing Examining data Structured dialogue Study groups Examining philosophy

SERC Rally Table With your shoulder partner Partner A states an idea to Partner B Partner A writes the idea Partner A passes the paper to Partner B Partner B states an idea to Partner A Partner B writes the idea Partner B passes the paper to Partner A Repeat for 3 minutes

SERC Rally Table How do you reflect?

SERC Talking Cards (Merger Method) Independently and silently Write one idea/response per index card With your team Put all index cards together Sort the cards into groups After all the cards have been sorted, label each category

SERC Talking Cards (Merge Method) How is reflection embedded into our team process?

SERC Six Hats of Thinking White hat-neutrality Red hat-emotions Black hat-what’s wrong Yellow hat-sunshine Green hat-creativity Blue hat-conductor

SERC Six Hats of Thinking Use the information you gathered with the talking cards. If reflective practice a reasonable expectation of educators? – What are the outcomes of reflection? – What/who benefits from reflection? – What are the barriers or threats to reflection? Revise your talking cards as needed

SERC Team Stand and Share Select your top principles about shaping an environment for reflective practice. Every stand together Share your ideas to the group

SERC A Final Thought… What is my contribution to creating a culture of reflection?