Reflecting on Reflection

I have just read a post by Jo Earl (http://jothinkingonline.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/writers-block.html) about the importance of reflection and the positive effect reflection has on our practice. This post resonated with me as it brought to mind one of the reading resources that we use on the CPPA Middle Leaders Course. It is  co -written by the Habits of the Mind guru Art Costa and Bena Kallick and is called '(Getting into the Habit of Reflection' Educational Leadership 2000 pg 60). In this article, Costa and Kallick set out some very clear reasons why reflecting on our practice is another avenue towards raising student outcomes, by raising the quality of the teacher's practice. Considering how ones own practice strengthens student performance, by committing to continual learning and by considering how ones action relates to the school goals, how can all of this reflection not benefit the students and colleagues in our lives?

Costa and Kallick promote the idea of reflective journals (blogs?) in order to document this self reflection. They assert that by writing down these reflections we engage in the 'internal voice of reflection' or self talk that help us to engage with what we really think, and helps us to remember these thoughts and feelings later. This is a pertinent point for reflecting for personal use as well as for collaborating with others.

Delving deeper into our practice and being consciously reflective practitioners is the underlying principle behind teaching as inquiry. I have now led the introduction to teaching as inquiry at two different schools and  leadership inquiry at two Middle Leaders courses. (Soon to be a third).  At every one of these introductions, I have sensed the change in atmosphere as people contemplate the prospect of another thing to do being landed on them. The internal sighs in the room are almost audible. It is a challenge to find the best way to create a culture of reflection and personal professional development in a way that sparks interest and inspires already stretched people. I am still working on the best way to do this. Each time, I have tried to present the overview in a brief enough way that does not lack information and confuse people, and detailed enough without overwhelming them. I am still looking for the right mix.
One thing I can say though, is that once people get the idea of the professional learning communities, the value of the teaching as inquiry and what the expectations are, they become more appreciative and positive about them. I have had many positive comments in the past about how useful these groups are and how good it is to work with people outside their own teams.  I have also heard how much people appreciate the opportunity to share knowledge and to learn about what their colleagues are doing. They say this looking back.

 However, that is much further down the track from here....  we shall see.