Reflective Practice

The Aga Khan Academy

Professional Development
August 2008
Reflection
 Reflection
‘The unexamined life isn’t worth living.’
Socrates, 450 BC (approx.)
 Reflection
‘The unexamined life isn’t worth living.’
Socrates, 450 BC (approx.)

“Reflective practice is as much a state of

mind as it is a set of activities”
Joseph Vaughan, 1990
 What is reflective
practice?
Individual Reflection

Think-Reflect-Pair-Share
 What is reflective
practice?
• Individual Reflection
What does this mean to you?

Think-Reflect-Pair-Share
 What is reflective
practice?
• Individual Reflection
What does this mean to you?
What does a reflective educator look like?

Think-Reflect-Pair-Share
 What is reflective
practice?
• Individual Reflection
What does this mean to you?
What does a reflective educator look like?
How do they behave?

Think-Reflect-Pair-Share
 What is reflective
practice?
• Individual Reflection
What does this mean to you?
What does a reflective educator look like?
How do they behave?
How would you know if you met one?

Think-Reflect-Pair-Share
How to we reflect?
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
• Peer group observations
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
• Peer group observations
• Within departments/grade groups
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
• Peer group observations
• Within departments/grade groups
• Portfolios
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
• Peer group observations
• Within departments/grade groups
• Portfolios
• While reading professional material
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
• Peer group observations
• Within departments/grade groups
• Portfolios
• While reading professional material
• When exercising
 How to we reflect?
• Journaling
• Visual diaries
• Discussing with a partner/colleague
• Peer group observations
• Within departments/grade groups
• Portfolios
• While reading professional material
• When exercising
• While in the car/shower/in bed…
Why reflect?
 Why reflect?
• Education is about learning – not only
student learning, but also staff learning.
 Why reflect?
• Education is about learning – not only
student learning, but also staff learning.
• Learning is a function of reflection.
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

Diagram from Reflective

Practice to Improve Schools:
An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

Diagram from Reflective

Practice to Improve Schools:
An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Pause
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

Diagram from Reflective

Practice to Improve Schools:
An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Openness

Pause
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

Diagram from Reflective

Practice to Improve Schools:
Inquiry An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Openness

Pause
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

Diagram from Reflective

Thinking Practice to Improve Schools:
Inquiry An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Openness

Pause
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

Learning
Diagram from Reflective
Thinking Practice to Improve Schools:
Inquiry An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Openness

Pause
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice

n
ti o
Ac
Learning
Diagram from Reflective
Thinking Practice to Improve Schools:
Inquiry An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Openness

Pause
 Theory of Action
for Reflective Practice
Enhanced
Student Learning

n
ti o
Ac
Learning
Diagram from Reflective
Thinking Practice to Improve Schools:
Inquiry An Action Guide for Educators,
2nd Edition, J. York-Barr, et. al.,
Corwin Press © 2006.

Openness

Pause
 Reflective Practice is an
Active Process

“Rather than reflective practice being seen

as impractical, passive, or irrelevant to
action, it can be regarded as centrally
important and relevant to the
understanding of ongoing action.”
~ B. Bright, 1996
Representing Reflections
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
• Scaffolds
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
• Scaffolds
• Quotes
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
• Scaffolds
• Quotes
• Photographs
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
• Scaffolds
• Quotes
• Photographs
• Questions
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
• Scaffolds
• Quotes
• Photographs
• Questions
• Student/Parent comments
 Representing Reflections
• Y-Charts
• Quadrants
• Diagrams
• Scaffolds
• Quotes
• Photographs
• Questions
• Student/Parent comments
• Other Processes or frameworks
 Y-Chart Reflection
Looks like…

Feels like… Sounds like…

 Question

If you were to walk into a classroom, what

might you see or hear there (from the
students as well as the teacher) that would
cause you to think that you were in the
presence of an expert?
 Obstacles to reflective
practice
• Building Solutions Activity
– On the A5 paper provided, write down one obstacle to
making reflective practice a part of your professional
growth.
– When given the signal, pass your paper to the person
on your right.
– Read the obstacle, think of a possible solution and
write it down.
– When given the signal pass it to the person on your
right.
– Continue until you receive your original obstacle.
Solutions?
 Solutions?
• If solutions exist, why have we not
implemented them?
 Solutions?
• If solutions exist, why have we not
implemented them?
• What can you do?
 Solutions?
• If solutions exist, why have we not
implemented them?
• What can you do?
• What can your team do?
 Solutions?
• If solutions exist, why have we not
implemented them?
• What can you do?
• What can your team do?
• How can we support you?
 When & Where do we
reflect?
Insert reflective practices everywhere!
 When & Where do we
reflect?
• Insert reflective practices everywhere!
– Staff meetings
 When & Where do we
reflect?
• Insert reflective practices everywhere!
– Staff meetings
– After lessons
• With students!
 When & Where do we
reflect?
• Insert reflective practices everywhere!
– Staff meetings
– After lessons
• With students!
– Department meetings
 When & Where do we
reflect?
• Insert reflective practices everywhere!
– Staff meetings
– After lessons
• With students!
– Department meetings
– Lunch
 When & Where do we
reflect?
• Insert reflective practices everywhere!
– Staff meetings
– After lessons
• With students!
– Department meetings
– Lunch
– Tea break
 When & Where do we
reflect?
• Insert reflective practices everywhere!
– Staff meetings
– After lessons
• With students!
– Department meetings
– Lunch
– Tea break
– ? – what works for you?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?

• So what?

• Now what?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?
– Descriptive, facts
– What happened?
• So what?

• Now what?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?
– Descriptive, facts
– What happened?
• So what?
– Interpretive, meaning of experience
– Feelings, what was learned
– Why is it so?
• Now what?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?
– Descriptive, facts
– What happened?
• So what?
– Interpretive, meaning of experience
– Feelings, what was learned
– Why is it so?
• Now what?
– Seeing the big picture
– Applying the lessons learned/insights gained
– Planning future action
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?

• So what?

• Now what?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?
– What have you done during this presentation?
• So what?

• Now what?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?
– What have you done during this presentation?
• So what?
– What have you learned about reflective
practice and your feelings about it?
• Now what?
 Reflective Process
Framework
• What?
– What have you done during this presentation?
• So what?
– What have you learned about reflective
practice and your feelings about it?
• Now what?
– How will you make reflective practice an
ongoing part of your professional
development?
 Thank you!
This presentation was based largely on:

Reflective Practice to Improve Schools: An

Action Guide for Educators, 2nd Edition.
Jennifer York-Barr, William A. Sommers,
Gail S. Ghere, Jo Montie. Corwin Press:
California, 2006.