Reflective Pro-formas Dianne Allen, 2002

I began collecting pro-formas which have been used and recommended by authors supporting
reflective work.

I initially anticipated I would find one that was ‘most effective’.

I have found:
• Each pro-forma is effective
• The pro-forma most effective for me (and I suspect it will be the same for you) is the one I
designed myself – it structured and focused my reflections on the areas where I was
wanting improvement and or illumination about my practice.
• I benefit from using almost any other pro-forma, and especially another pro-forma than
my own, from time to time. The alternative form makes me answer other questions about
my practice, and review whether my current pro-forma is still doing its work. I expect, as
time goes by that my personal pro-forma will need to be adjusted.
• Most pro-formas, developed by individuals from, and for, their specific context, can be
adapted, after consideration, for use in your own context

The following indicates where I have found examples of pro-formas, and their context, and, in
some cases, their possible different uses.

If you are interested in the specifics of any one pro-forma, and cannot source the citation, let
me know, and I can forward my copy to you.

Pro-forma Description and Focus of Use: Citation:

General: moving from reaction to contemplation Hughes, D cited in Carson, L Reflecting on
Participation in Groups: Study Guide
Suggestions for getting started on journalling Bolitho, A cited in Carson, L Reflecting on
Participation in Groups: Study Guide. Southern Cross
Uni, 1996(?)
General: Kipling’s Six Servants Kipling, follows the Elephant Child in Just So Stories
General: NLP How to Derive a Well Formed Outcome (Collingwood and Collingwood 1995)
Personal, Autobiographical reflections (Jones 1998)
Self and resilience (Young-Eisendrath 1996), p.50
Preparation for Learning (Power 1992)
Intentional activity David Haddad
Consultant Effectiveness / Intentional activity (Dick 1997)
Developing management skills (Whetten and Cameron 1995)
Descriptive to Critical Ghaye & Ghaye used by Goff
Action cycle Ghaye & Ghaye used by Mellett
Theory and practice issues (social work context) (Fook 1996)
Critical Questions (social critical theory – teaching (Smyth 1996)
context)
Adult Learning and the role of the adult educator (Mezirow 1991), p.219
Critical incidents as learner; as teacher Sue Knights
Learning Experience for Teaching application (Brookfield 1991), p.38
Critical Incident in Class (Adult Learners/ Teacher (Brookfield 1995), p.115
Professional Development)
Reflective Inventory (Teacher) (Brookfield 1995), p.146
Personal Assumptions Inventory (teaching and (Brookfield 1995), p.146
learning)
Good and bad teaching (Brookfield 1995), p.147
Pro-forma Description and Focus of Use: Citation:
Judgement: practical to socially critical (teaching (Tripp 1993), p.115
context)
Personal Practice Issues Dianne Allen
Mediation Session Report (Kressel 1997)
Case Closing Conference Report (Mediation Practice) (Kressel 1997)

Brookfield, S. (1991). Grounding Teaching in Learning. Facilitating Adult Learning: a

Transactional Process. M. W. Galbraith. Malabar, Fla., Krieger.
Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.
Collingwood, C. and J. Collingwood (1995). Personal Strategies for Life: A practitioners'
manual for students of NLP. Sydney, Inspiritive.
Dick, B. (1997). The naïve philosophy of a naïve philosopher. [On line]. Available at
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arp/naïve.html.
Fook, J., Ed. (1996). The reflective researcher: social workers' experience with theories of
practice research. Sydney, Allen & Unwin.
Jones, C. (1998). An Authentic Life: Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Everyday Life.
Sydney, ABC.
Kressel, K. (1997). “Practice-Relevant Research in Mediation: Toward a Reflective Research
Paradigm.” Negotiation Journal 13(2): 143-160.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco, Jossey-
Bass.
Power, M. R. (1992). “Educating Mediators Metacognitively.” Australian Dispute Resolution
Journal 3: 214-226.
Smyth, J. (1996). Developing socially critical educators. Working with experience: animating
learning. D. Boud and N. Miller. London, Routledge: 41-57.
Tripp, D. (1993). Critical Incidents in Teaching: Developing Professional Judgement.
London, Routledge.
Whetten, D. A. and K. S. Cameron (1995). Developing Management Skills. New York,
HarperCollins.
Young-Eisendrath, P. (1996). The Resilient Spirit: Transforming suffering into insight,
compassion and renewal. Sydney, Allen & Unwin.