Recently, I have been having conversations and delivering training in schools and colleges around developing a more reflective culture and enhancing the skills and processes that make that possible. It has been interesting to hear how teachers and managers value reflective spaces and dialogues for standing back from their everyday practice, slowing things down, gaining fresh perspectives and noticing how they might do things differently. Many people have commented on the speed and pressures of a normal working week in a college or school and how challenging it can be to find/make time for such helpful conversations. So here are some thoughts about ways to foster and build a more sustainable approach to reflection so that staff and learners can all benefit.
Leaders valuing reflection
Reflective spaces and practices need embedding in the ways organisations work and talk, so the starting point is valuing and championing reflection as a part of the strategy for professional learning and organisational improvement. It is about discussing and articulating the importance of thinking reflectively together as professionals and as learners, to support development, and seeing where that fits into our processes and interactions. Leadership teams can play an important role on the strategic and resourcing front.
Scheduling opportunities for reflection
It really helps if leadership and management teams consider how reflection can be incorporated into strategies, operational plans, events, team and service meetings and action plans/minutes. Putting it onto agendas and into activities and templates/standard documents creates a space where these kinds of conversations can take place. Reflective dialogue evaluating progress, impact, strengths and actions for improvement can be part of curriculum team meetings, supervision 1:1s, leadership forums, appraisal and lesson observation conversations, whole class discussions, tutorials with learners and the list goes on.
Building engagement with reflection
For reflective practice to take hold and take space, we need to get teachers and learners into conversations about its value, skills and approaches. You can harness TLA Coaches, Advanced Practitioners, the teacher education team, the staff development team, learner mentors, student coaches to facilitate conversations about the place of reflection in teaching and learning and to share approaches and tools for doing it. Online spaces and tools can be a part of this alongside stimulating live discussions.
Building capacity for reflection
Awareness training and reflective dialogue skills development can both support staff and learners to get a more varied toolkit of reflection approaches and to spot applications of this skill set in their routines at school or college. Running such training recently I have noticed how many teachers comment that they felt more active in and focused on reflection during their initial teacher training courses but that deep and insightful reflection has often been squeezed out of their busy working life.
Putting focus back on these skills and identifying the opportunities for conversations can make a real difference in how much thoughtful reflection happens in the working week.
If you want to discuss any needs around consultancy, training or coaching on reflective practice for your school or college, you can contact me via email for a no commitment conversation:
jmilesconsulting@gmail.com