Professional Reflection

While many educators now use professional learning communities (PLCs) to assess student performance, educators rarely have or take the time to more broadly reflect on their practice. Beyond periodic evaluations with supervisors, educators have few opportunities to pause to examine their beliefs, habits of mind, and dispositions, particularly in relation to their own work with students and colleagues. And because professional evaluations are often high stress, high stakes, and connected to perceived performance by supervisors, it may be difficult for you to be honest and critical as you gaze into the professional mirror. This first section will give you an opportunity to stretch your professional reflection muscles, begin working with your learning partner, and building your LIFT Portfolio.

Defining your leadership 'why'

How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Even if you've seen this before, Simon Sinek's TEDx Talk is a powerful way to begin your work on the LIFT Framework. Beyond the what and how, what is your why?

Activity Directions

Learning outcomes

  • Begin working with learning partner and using the LIFT Portfolio

  • Reflect on why you do what you do as an educator

  • Identify an initial 'why' to guide you through the LIFT professional learning path

Activities

View the video How Great Leaders Inspire Action - TEDx Talk

If you haven't done so already, make a copy of the LIFT Portfolio Module 1 for your work on this framework. This document will be an ongoing record of your work and a core artifact. Make sure to share access to your LIFT Portfolio with your learning partner.

Discuss these questions with your learning partner.

  • Do you agree with Sinek's contention that "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it?" Explain.

  • In your work with colleagues, do you usually find agreement or consensus in 'how' and 'why' you do what you do? If there is disagreement, where is the disagreement?

  • As you think about high-functioning leaders and teams with which you've worked, how did that experience feel different from work with other leaders and teams?

Respond to these questions in your LIFT Portfolio.

  1. Sinek explores the Law of Diffusion of Innovation (11:06). As it relates to the use of educational technology, which of the categories best describes you?

    • Innovator | Early Adopter | Early Majority | Late Majority | Laggards

  2. As you think about working with other colleagues as an instructional partner in the future, how important is it for you to understand and empathize with the category they fit into?

Reimagining professional learning

No More Bad Coffee: Professional Development That Honors Teachers

This TEDx talk serves as an aspirational vision of professional development as you start the LIFT Framework.

Activity Directions

Learning outcomes

  • Examine educator professional development beyond the role of a participant

  • Examine professional reflection and agency as part of professional development

Activities

View the video No More Bad Coffee: Professional Development That Honors Teachers.

Discuss these questions with your partner.

  • What training or professional learning have you had which reflects some of the ideals shared in the video?

  • What role does professional reflection play in teaching students? In professional learning?

  • What are some specific ways in which you and your learning partner support one another as you begin?

Respond to these questions in your LIFT Portfolio.

  1. The educational researcher Donald Schön wrote "The experience in reflective teaching is that you must plunge into the doing, and try to educate yourself before you know what it is you’re trying to learn." As you begin this learning path, how do you feel about what Schön suggests?

  2. What are some specific ways in which you can support your learning partner?

Golden Circle

In Simon Sinek's video, he diagrams what he calls the 'Golden Circle' which includes three key questions -- why, how, and what. As a tool for reflection and goal setting, you will create and then continue to iterate your own Golden Circle as you move through the LIFT Framework.

Activity Directions

Learning outcomes

  • Create 'Golden Circle' diagram as a tool for reflection and goal setting

  • Identify initial definitions of your why, how and what as it relates to your educator practice

Activities

Read the posts Unearthing the Why and Starting With Why. If necessary, review the video How Great Leaders Inspire Action - TEDx Talk.

Create your own Golden Circle diagram either in your LIFT Portfolio or as a separate document/link. You will be coming back to this diagram throughout your work on the LIFT Framework. You will be able to amend or add to this as you continue learning and collecting ideas. Insert an initial response to each of the prompts below in your diagram.

  1. Why - your motivation, purpose, or beliefs about learning and teaching with students and colleagues

  2. How - your process, actions, and habits which support your why

  3. What - your outcomes, products, or results of your work