Reflective Practice to Improve Schools: An Action Guide for Educators

Jennifer York-Barr, William A. Sommers, Gail S. Ghere, Jo Montie

Corwin Press, Dec 21, 2005 - Education - 344 pages

This reference tool for mastering reflective practice and initiating it in your school offers ideas for reflective practice alone, with partners, in small groups, and schoolwide.

Contents

• Chapter 1 Reflective Practice for Continuous Learning: 1
• Where Did Reflective Practice Come from?: 3
• What is Reflective Practice?: 8
• Why Reflective Practice? and What is its Potential to Improve Schools?: 12
• What Does it Mean to be a Reflective Educator?: 15
• Learning from the inside out: 19
• Individual Reflective Practice: 20
• Reflective Practice with Partners: 21
• Reflective Practice in Small Groups and Teams: 22
• Schoolwide Reflective Practice: 23
• Moving Outward in the Spiral: 24
• Closing: 27
• Chapter 2 Fundamentals for Reflective Practice: 31
• What Adult Learning Principles Support Reflective Practices?: 33
• What Personal Capacities Foster Reflective Practice?: 35
• Expanding Thought and Inquiry: 41
• What Makes Reflective Practice Meaningful?: 55
• What Learning Designs Promote Reflective Practice?: 60
• Closing: 61
• Chapter 3 Individual Reflective Practice: 65
• Special Considerations for Individual Reflective Practice: 67
• Identity: 69
• Ethics: 74
• Courage: 76
• Caring for Others and for Self: 77
• Voice: 79
• Practice Practice and More Practice: 80
• Insert Reflective Practices Everywhere: 81
• A 4Step Reflection Process: 82
• Reflection Directions: 85
• Journaling: 87
• Five States of Mind: 89
• Internal Reflections for Principals: 90
• More Ideas to Consider: 92
• SelfObserving: 93
• Reflection in the Design of WebEnhanced Lessons: 94
• What Question Did You Ask Today?: 96
• Mapping: 97
• Teacher Narratives: 98
• Teaching Portfolios: 99
• Metaphors: 100
• Reading with Reflection: 101
• Personal Reflections on Meaning in Life: 102
• Getting Started with Individual Reflective Practice: 103
• Closing: 104
• Chapter 4 Reflective Practice with Partners: 107
• Special Considerations for Reflective Practice with Partners: 109
• What is the Purpose of Your Partner Reflection? What is the Focus?: 110
• With Whom Might You Reflect?: 113
• Examples from Practice: 122
• Nurturing Reflective Capacity Beginning with Induction: 125
• PrincipalTeacher Interactive Journaling: 127
• Schoolwide Dyads and Triads: 128
• Weekly Reviews: 129
• Listening Practice: 130
• More Ideas to Consider: 131
• Online Directed Journaling: 135
• Structured Dialogue: 137
• Framing Experiences from Practice Using Stories: 138
• Observational Learning: 139
• Classroom Coaching: 140
• Action Research: 141
• Chapter 5 Reflective Practice in Small Groups and Teams: 145
• Special Considerations for Reflective Practice in Small Groups and Teams: 149
• How Do Group Size and Group Composition Influence Teamwork?: 152
• What are the GroupMember Roles?: 154
• What Structures and Processes Support Group Reflection and Learning?: 161
• How can Time be Allocated for Learning Together?: 168
• Examples from Practice: 172
• Intentional Design of a Book Study Group: 173
• Time for TeamLearning Task Force at Plains Elementary: 176
• Reading Reflection Groups at Washington High School: 178
• New Ways of Thinking about Space Allocation at Newbury High School: 179
• More Ideas to Consider: 181
• Reflective Protocols for Collaborative Examination of Student Work: 183
• Metaphors and Synectics: 186
• Talking Cards: 187
• Six Hats: 188
• EXPLORE Alternative Viewpoints: 189
• SelfOrganized Teacher Support Groups: 190
• Teacher Dialogues: 191
• Video Clubs: 192
• Think Tank Structure: 193
• Interactive Reflective Teaching Seminars: 194
• Getting Started with Reflective Practice in Small Groups and Teams: 195
• Chapter 6 Schoolwide Reflective Practice: 199
• Special Considerations for Schoolwide Reflective Practices: 202
• Professionals Learning in Community: 204
• Change at the Organizational Level: 208
• Leadership Shared by Principals and Teachers: 213
• Examples from Practice: 218
• A TeacherLed Reflective Practice Initiative at Urban High School: 219
• PLCs Get Started at Westview High School: 225
• Tapping the Community of Experts within: 226
• Schoolwide Math PLCs at Eastview Elementary School: 227
• Coaching Decreases Discipline Referrals at Jane Addams Junior High: 230
• Implementing an InquiryBased Science Curriculum: 231
• Teaching Portfolios to Foster JobEmbedded Professional Learning: 232
• Philosophy Club: 233
• Learning in Faculty Meetings: 234
• Sharing School History: 236
• Getting Started with Schoolwide Reflective Practice: 237
• Purpose What and Why?: 238
• People Who?: 240
• Resources Support?: 241
• Results So What?: 242
• Chapter 7 Moving Forward with Reflective Practicein Hope and Possibility: 245
• Revisiting the Reflective Practice Theory of Action: 247
• Theory as a Catalyst for Asking More Questions: 249
• Lessons Learned about Reflective Practice: 250
• More Lessons Learned: 255
• Fostering Hope and Renewal: 257
• Closing: 261
• Resources: 265
• References: 289
• Index: 303

About the author

Jennifer York-Barr received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her development, research and teaching has been grounded in partnerships with schools and school districts. Her early worked focused most specifically on creating classroom communities in which students with various exceptionalities were included. That work grew into a broader focus on growing school communities grounded in conversations that support ongoing reflective practice and learning. She has been honored with several college and university level teaching awards and has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications most of which are focused on instructional collaboration, inclusive schooling, teacher leadership and professional learning.

William A. Sommers, Ph.D. of Austin, Texas, continues to be a learner, teacher, principal, author, leadership coach, and consultant. Bill has come out of retirement five times to put theory into practice. He was on the Board of Trustees for five years and President for the National Staff Development Council now called Learning Forward. Dr. Sommers is the former Executive Director for Secondary Curriculum and Professional Learning for Minneapolis Public Schools, and a school administrator for over 30 years. In addition to being an adjunct faculty member at several universities, he has been a program director for an adolescent chemical dependency treatment center and on the board of a halfway house for 20 years. Bill has co-authored eight books, and co-authored chapters in several other books. In January 2016 Bill and his colleague Skip Olsen launched a website www.learningomnivores.com which includes educational blogs, new rules, and book reviews. Bill is a practitioner who integrates theory into leading and facilitating schools. Dr. Sommers has continued to be a leadership coach for over 25 years to school administrators.

Gail GhereGail received her PhD from University of Minnesota in educational policy and program evaluation. She has a Masters degree in Special Education with practice experience as a related service provider. Over her career, she worked in Pre K-12 education in rural, suburban, and urban school districts. She also has served as a program evaluator for K-12 education, higher education, and private foundations. She is the co-author of several publications on collaboration, program evaluation, and paraprofessional development. Her belief in equitable outcomes and inclusive learning opportunities for students has guided her work throughout her career whether she was working directly with students, supporting adult learning or developing programs that met the needs of diverse learners.

Jo Montie Jo received her MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota (1996) and a BS in Behavioral Disabilities from the University of WI-Madison (1984) when she started her work in schools as a special education teacher. She has been teaching at the University of St. Thomas since 2003 where she also contributes leadership in the areas of teacher education program development and online teaching and learning. Jo’s over 25 years of teaching and work in schools continues to stress the need for more collaboration, reflective practice and greater access and equity for all learners.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Reflective Practice to Improve Schools: An Action Guide for Educators
• Editors: Jennifer York-Barr, William A. Sommers, Gail S. Ghere, Jo Montie
• Publisher: Corwin Press, 2005
• ISBN: 1483361772, 9781483361772
• Length: 344 pages
• Subjects: Education / General; Education / Teacher Training & Certification