Reflective Practice Video Cycles Overview

The DPS Inquiry Cycle Links to an external site. is well established and used throughout the district in order to help teachers and leaders solve instructional or school-wide issues. The Design Thinking Links to an external site. cycle/process is also something we recognize as having huge benefit for placing empathy at the center of our understanding as we look to solve for complex systemic components of education. We recognize that both of these cycles empower teachers/leaders to build solutions and create lasting change within classrooms and schools.

These cycles, however, do not focus on the individual reflection and growth that a teacher or leader can make. They do not simplify or provide specific guidance for what comes next in the classroom. Moreover, these two cycles do not have a bias towards action that allows for teachers to leverage their own instructional knowledge and experience. It is our attempt to remedy these shortcomings by establishing The Reflective Practice Cycle, a companion to the two more established processes to bring about real change.

To be clear, this cycle does not compete with the DPS Inquiry Cycle or the Design Thinking Process. Rather, it attempts to simplify and deepen these processes. Think of it as the personal cycle you can do every day, the one that makes the broader and bigger cycles possible. It is the one that you can do on your own and with others, making small changes and having personal realizations about your practice.

So, what are the steps in the Reflective Practice Cycle?

1. Reflection For Action (Before) - Before you hit the record button on the camera, you will need to plan what it is that you want to record and why. This is either the pre-conversation step with your coach or asking yourself some questions focused on your practice and what you would like to work on.
2. Reflection In Action (During) - While the video is being recorded, you will want to reflect upon your process, taking special note of anything you will want to come back to later. You will also want to be reflective about the choices you are making and mindfully/intentionally do experiments that you believe will have positive outcomes.
3. Reflection On Action (After) - After the video is done and you have captured what you need, you will want to review it and objectively reflect upon it. You can use this time to either dig more deeply into a single component of your practice or to look broadly at the whole learning environment and prepare for the next cycle.

These steps continue the iterative process and can be done very rapidly or they can be slow and deliberate. Regardless of your own implementation, this cycle of Reflection-For-Action, Reflection-In-Action, and Reflection-On-Action is essential to establishing a rhythm for growth.

Now let’s dig more deeply into what this cycle looks like for three different entry points:

Self-Reflection

In this version of the Reflective Practice Cycle, you are accountable only to yourself. While this may sound ideal in many ways, one large sticking point is that many of us struggle to follow through on recording and reflecting when we have only made promises to do so to ourselves. One of the best ways to avoid this is to schedule time with yourself in order to get each of the steps done.

Co-Reflection

In this version of the Reflective Practice Cycle, you have a Mentor, Coach, or Differentiated Roles lead who is helping you to navigate your reflection and recording process. In many ways, you are able to accelerate your rate of growth or deepen your instructional understanding because you have someone else’s expertise to guide your inquiry, ensuring an objective lens and regular touch points on the calendar.

Peer-Reflection

In this version of the Reflective Practice Cycle, you will bring your videos and your questions before a group of your peers. While there may be a facilitator who runs the (Affinity) group, the work of reflecting is done by those who are engaged in the practice of teaching or leading that is being captured. This type of structure allows for both regular “check-ins” with one another and group accountability for growth.