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.
Veteran school administrator and leadership expert Pete Hall has dedicated his career to supporting the improvement of our education systems. In addition to his teaching experiences in three states, he served as a school principal for 12 years in Nevada and Washington. This is his seventh book—and his fourth coauthored with Alisa Simeral—to accompany over a dozen articles on school leadership. Mr. Hall currently serves as a professional development agent, motivational speaker, coach, and mentor for educators worldwide.
Alisa Simeral has guided school-based reform efforts as instructional coach, school dean, professional developer, and leadership mentor. Her focus is, and always has been, empowering educators to take charge of their own professional growth. If how we think drives what we do, then developing and refining strong metacognitive habits is at the heart of all capacity-building work, leading directly to both teacher and student success. Alisa's commitment to this mission has been the focus of her research, writing, speaking, and teaching. This is her fourth book; and she now works as consultant and professional speaker to schools—both nationally and internationally—focused on cultivating reflective practice and shifting from cultures of compliance to cultures of commitment. Her mantra is, "When our teachers succeed, our students succeed."
