Week 17: My Reflective Practice

Create a reflective entry in which you critically evaluate your reflective practice.  Your reflection should be based on a reflective model of your choice

                           

STEP 1: Description of Practice 

 How do I do this and does this work for me?   How does it make me feel?

I am an RTLB who works primarily alongside rūmaki reo settings and also with English medium kaiako who teach Maori learners.  We support kaiako to consider interventions and strategies that increase student inclusion and engagement within the classroom. So while I am not actively teaching a class of students, the quote from Dewey above is a critical part of what happens within my practice.Initially, when I hui with kaiako and whānau, their aspirations and perspectives are what I am most interested in, so that I can 'reflect on the experience' and gain clarity and mutual understanding.  I think sometimes this is both 'rapid reflection' (Zeichner & Liston, 1996) where I am reflecting on the spot and sometimes it is pondering and mulling it over in a solitary, individual activity.  I like to think that I am engaging in what Larrivee, 2000 (cited in Finlay, 2009) describes as 'fusing my personal beliefs and values'  so as to uncover my professional perspectives including gaining new insights that either challenge or acknowledge my assumptions.
What do I ponder and wonder about in my practice?
 Is what I do ethically respectful, responsive and acknowledging of those to whom I serve?
(Servant Leadership).  How do I know that what I am proposing brings out the best in those I work with?
STEP 2: Comparing, Considering alternatives to inform practice
How do other people involved or indirectly involved describe what is happening?
What research contributes to this?  How can I improve 
I regularly challenge my stance by accessing relevant research - particularly to acknowledge my hunches and to ensure that I am working in an ethical manner.  Personally, this works for me, but where there is no mutual agreement with kaiako, I feel vulnerable and therefore I need to seek ways to show empathy, compromise and at times looking for a respectful approach on how to initiate changes in teacher perspectives and stance when you know it could be adding to the problem or making the situation worse.  This can take quite a few discussions, observations and critical reflection on 'how' to manage this. In rumaki settings, I find dropping back into a maori worldview and use of maori tikanga helpful. The spiral of inquiry model works a treat. To do give real effect to this approach is do to this in a group approach and/or wānanga approach with others. 

STEP 3: Critical Reflection

What alternatives do I need to consider?  How does this reflective process inform and renew my perspectives?

• What scholarly /peer reviewed material will help me either affirm or initiate an alternative is to be considered.
• What could I do differently?
• Am I focusing on the right thing?
• Is the learner at the center of our thinking?
• Be open to other viewpoints and change 
• Link theory to practice - focus on pedagogical leadership 
• promoting a participatory approach
• analyzing and evaluating my actions as a continuous self improvement cycle. 

REFERENCES:

Finlay, L. (2009). Reflecting on reflective practice.  Practice based Professional Learning Centre, Open University.  Retrieved from http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/sites/www.open.ac.uk.opencetl/files/files/ecms/web-content/Finlay-%282008%29-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf

Greenleaf, R.k (1970). What is servant leadership?. Retrieved from https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

Timperley, H.,Kaser, L., &  Halbert, J. (2014).  A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the spiral of inquiry.. Centre for Srrategic Education. Seminar Series Paper No.234. 2014. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/.../49.%20Spiral%20of%20Inquiry%20Paper%20-%2...