A Leader's Guide to Reflective Practice


Book Description

If the world of leadership is the world of action, why does being reflective matter? Why take time out? Why explore the inner world of thought and feeling, the quieter outer processes of dialogue and conversation? This guidebook provides answers to those questions. And it offers intriguing, refreshing and satisfying ways to deepen our leadership capacities through reflection. It is a pocket resource for those who lead by title as well as those who simply make the world a better place by their example. An aid to leaders who are on the run, it is particularly meant for those weary souls who need to find a breathing space in their busy lives in order to be more powerful in service to what matters most to them. It reflects the author's words from her poem Fire: What makes a fire burn is space between the logs, a breathing space…




Reflective Practice to Improve Schools


Book Description

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.




Developing Your Intuition


Book Description

Leaders often have to make decisions without complete information, and those decisions are expected to be not only right but also timely. Using reflective techniques can help you learn to depend on your intuition for help in making good decisions quickly. Reflective practices may seem time-consuming at the beginning, but the time you put in on the front end is well worth the investment. It will pay you back both in time and in the quality of the decisions you make.




Developing Reflective Practice


Book Description

The ability to reflect on practice is a fundamental component of effective medical practice. In a sector increasingly focused on professionalism and patient-centred care, Developing Reflective Practice is a timely publication providing practical guidance on how to acquire the reflective skills necessary to become a successful clinician. This new title draws from a wide range of theoretical and practical multidisciplinary perspectives to assist students, practitioners and educators in embedding reflection in everyday activities. It also offers structures and ideas for more purposeful and meaningful formal reflections and professional development. Developing Reflective Practice: Focuses on the developing practitioner and their lifelong learning and the development of professional identity through reflection Provides practical how-to information for students, practitioners and educators, including realistic case examples and practice-based hints and tips Examines and explains the theoretical and conceptual approaches to reflective practice, including its models and frameworks.




Caring Enough to Lead


Book Description

"Leonard Pellicer is more believable than many authors because he practices what he preaches. This book represents a gift from someone who shows us that leading and caring go hand in hand. I have skimmed through all too many books on leadership. Most don′t speak to me. This one got my attention. Through a rich collection of anecdotes and stories, rather than pronouncements and recipes, I know it will grab yours." —From the Foreword by Terrence E. Deal "Pellicer reminds educators why we entered the education field in the first place. He has hit the proverbial nail on its head, and I highly encourage all graduate schools of education and all teacher leaders to make this book required reading!" —Candace Bower, Instructor New York State Teacher Center Leadership Academy "This book is addictive. It has a very personal feel to it, as if the author is talking to the reader." —Kathe Stanley, Art Teacher Richmond Drive Elementary School, Rock Hill, SC "I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author′s personal stories were realistic, which made his points easy to envision. I am thankful for the privilege of adding this to my library." —Douglas Rinaca, Sixth-Grade Teacher Chester Middle School, Gastonia, NC Discover the meaning of caring leadership and bring your school to a new level of excellence! The author examines what it means to be an effective, caring leader who develops meaningful bonds with staff members to establish common core values. This updated edition of a bestseller demonstrates the relationship between caring leadership and moral and ethical choices and expands on the power of caring leadership to transform schools. This revised edition provides veteran and aspiring leaders with: Two new chapters on the art of caring leadership Real-world examples that illustrate what leaders encounter each day Expanded reflective exercises in each chapter




Reflective Practice


Book Description

Lecturers, why waste time waiting for the post to arrive? Request your e-inspection copy today! In the new third edition of this popular and highly readable book, the author draws on her considerable experience and extensive research to demonstrate a creative dynamic mode of reflection and reflexivity. Using expressive and explorative writing combined with in-depth group work/mentoring alongside appropriate focussed research, it enables critical yet sensitive examinations of practice. Gillie offers a searching and thorough approach which increases student and professional motivation, satisfaction, and deep levels of learning. She clearly explains reflection; reflexivity; narrative; metaphor, and complexity, and grounds the literary and artistic methods in educational theory and values. Clear step-by-step practical methods are given for every aspect of the process. New to this edition are: A chapter presenting different ways of undertaking and facilitating reflective practice Further international coverage, including material from Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Third Edition also includes: An annotated glossary explaining key terms End-of-chapter activities and exercises Suggested further reading, and clear guides on chapter contents and how to use the book. Companion website www.uk.sagepub.com/bolton An accompanying companion website includes a range of free additional materials for lecturers and students to use in tutorials and for independent study, including discussion, workshop exercises, glossary and online readings. The methods are appropriate to, and used worldwide by, students and professionals across education; medicine and healthcare; clinical psychology; therapy; social work; pastoral care; counselling; police; business management; organisational consultancy; leadership training.




Inside Group Work


Book Description

A valuable guide to working with groups for a variety of purposes in the human services. Its distinctive strength is the focus on 'thinking group' and on theory informed reflective practice. Grounded throughout in the rich experiences of 'group insiders', the book is both engaging and informative. Definitely a recommended resource for practitioners, students and educators. Ros Thorpe, Professor of Social Work and Community Welfare, James Cook University Group facilitation is a core skill for social workers, community workers, youth workers, health workers and psychologists. Inside Group Work offers a guide to group work theory and practice in a variety of human service settings. Drawing on thought-provoking contributions from experienced group leaders and participants, Fiona McDermott outlines the various ways in which group work can be used. Focusing particularly on psychoeducation groups, psychotherapy groups, mutual aid groups and social action groups, she explains that the purpose of the group should determine the form it takes. The key facilitation skills of listening, observing, intervening and responding under pressure are outlined. But McDermott argues these skills by themselves are not sufficient. Rather, facilitators need to 'think group' in order to be most effective. McDermott also explains the various stages groups go through, and looks at ways in which group facilitators can handle typical problems. She explores issues of power and leadership, and also the influence of gender, sexuality, ethnicity and age.




Teaching and Learning through Reflective Practice


Book Description

Now in its second edition, Teaching and Learning through Reflective Practice is a practical guide to enable all those involved in educational activities to learn through the practices of reflection. The book highlights the power that those responsible for teaching and learning have to appraise, understand and positively transform their teaching. Seeing the teacher as a reflective learner, the book emphasises a strengths-based approach in which positivity, resilience, optimism and high performance can help invigorate teaching, enhance learning and allow the teacher to reach their full potential. This approach busts the myth that reflection on problems and deficits is the only way to better performance. The approach of this new edition is an ‘appreciative’ one. At its heart is the exploration and illustration of four reflective questions: What’s working well? What needs changing? What are we learning? Where do we go from here? With examples drawn from UK primary teacher education, the book reveals how appreciative reflective conversations can be initiated and sustained. It also sets out a range of practical processes for amplifying success. This book will be a must have for undergraduate and PGCE students on initial teacher training programmes. It will also interest practising teachers, teacher educators and those on continuing professional development courses.




Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice


Book Description

As a school administrator, instructional coach, or teacher leader, you know that reflective teachers are effective teachers. But how can you help teachers become self-reflective practitioners whose thoughtful approach translates into real gains for student achievement? In Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice—a companion volume to their teacher-oriented book Teach, Reflect, Learn—authors Pete Hall and Alisa Simeral draw on lessons learned from educators across grade levels, content areas, and district demographics to present a definitive guide to developing a culture of reflective practice in your school. Hall and Simeral expand on ideas originally presented in Building Teachers’ Capacity for Success to help you gain a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities—and those of your teachers—within each stage of the Continuum of Self-Reflection. Armed with the book’s real-life examples and research-based tools, you’ll learn how to determine the current location of all stakeholders on the continuum and how teacher-leadership activities, transformational feedback, and strategic coaching can move them forward. The end result? A schoolwide culture that both values reflection and uses it to ensure that teachers—and their students—reach their fullest potential.




The Guide to Reflective Practice in Conflict Resolution


Book Description

This book is a commonsense guide to becoming a reflective practitioner, written by a practitioner for practitioners. This second edition is fully revised and updated, incorporating extensive new material emphasizing hands-on tools, worksheets, and guides along with practical advice for those interested in adopting reflective practice individually or in a group setting. It also provides useful resources, step-by-step instructions, and more case studies and commentaries from practitioners. Every person in a conflict resolution process sees the world differently and acts in a distinctive manner. Yet, by following well-developed practice routines, practitioners often fail to consider the unpredictability of human interactions and overlook behaviors that are inconsistent with their expectations. To respond effectively to surprising and unpredictable events, this book encourages practitioners to adapt their thinking, so they can use their knowledge and skills when situations do not match their assumptions or are inconsistent with their practice routines. This book also includes guest essays by Ava Abramowitz, Jodie Grant, Tzofnat Peleg-Baker, and Susanne Terry.