developing+together?+the+group+lunch+project,+promoting+a+reflective+friendly+environment+for+all+the+staff+and+myself

"[|Kettle and Sellars (1996]) studied the development of third- year teaching students. They analyzed the students' reflective writings and interviewed them extensively about their reflective practices. They found that the use of peer reflective groups encouraged student teachers to challenge existing theories and their own preconceived views of teaching while modeling for them a collaborative style of professional development that would be useful throughout their teaching careers." "Licklider's review of adult learning theory (1997) found that self-directness -- including self-learning from experience in natural settings -- is an important component of adult learning. Therefore, effective teacher professional development should involve more than occasional large-group sessions; it should include activities such as study teams and peer coaching in which teachers continuously examine their assumptions and practices." "Serving as a coach or mentor to peers is another form of reflective practice for in-service teachers. Uzat (1998) presents coaching as a realistic and systematic approach to ongoing teacher improvement through focused reflection on teaching methods. Uzat also relates the concept of coaching to self-efficacy: Teachers' beliefs that they affect students' lives as well as the school motivate them intrinsically to grow."

[|"it can be argued that “real” reflective practice needs another person as mentor or professional supervisor, who can ask appropriate questions to ensure that the reflection goes somewhere, and does not get bogged down in self-justification, self-indulgence or self-pity!"]

discussing the fact that what we do and what we think we do is not the same 2 This is how Argyris and Schön (1978: 2-3) described the process in the context of organizational learning: > When the error detected and corrected permits the organization to carry on its present policies or achieve its presents objectives, then that error-and-correction process is //single-loop// learning. Single-loop learning is like a thermostat that learns when it is too hot or too cold and turns the heat on or off. The thermostat can perform this task because it can receive information (the temperature of the room) and take corrective action. //Double-loop// learning occurs when error is detected and corrected in ways that involve the modification of an organization’s underlying norms, policies and objectives."