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a ready-to-run workshopReflecting & Growing
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Reflecting & Growing Across the Year (Workshop)

The difference between one year of experience and the same year repeated is reflection. New teachers who regularly step back, ask what is working and what to change, and act on it, improve far faster than those who just survive day to day.

Key takeaway

Deliberate reflection, regularly asking what is working, what to change, and acting on it, is what turns a first year of survival into rapid growth.

Format
Induction session
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 1-30)
Who can run it
A mentor or induction lead
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutThis week in mindA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Conditions for SuccessInTASC 9: Professional LearningResearch on reflective practice
Share / assign

Why it works

Reflective practice, systematically examining what is working, why, and what to adjust, is a hallmark of teachers who improve quickly. For new teachers, a simple habit of regular reflection, on lessons, on management, on feedback received, turns daily experience into learning, while those who only survive repeat the same patterns. Acting on the reflection, not just having it, is the key.

The research: Research on reflective practice and teacher growth (Schon and others).

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: build a reflection habit

    New teachers leave with a brief, regular reflection that leads to one change.

    Reflect, then change one thingReflection only helps if it leads to action. Ask what worked and what to change, then change one thing, regularly.

    Facilitator notes

    Experience without reflection just repeatsA year of surviving without reflecting is the same day repeated. Build a brief, regular reflection that leads to change.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Reflecting & Growing: change one thing

    <b>Turn experience into growth:</b> a brief, regular reflection that leads to one specific change.

    1. My simple, regular reflection:
    2. What I will reflect on:
    3. The one change it leads to:
    4. How I keep it sustainable:
    5. Who I reflect with:

    Make it stick

    Reflect, then act:

    Common questions

    Who has time to reflect in the first year?
    A few minutes counts. A quick weekly question, what worked, what will I change, done regularly and acted on, drives growth without a big time cost.
    Isn't surviving the first year enough?
    Surviving is real, but reflection is how you improve rather than repeat. Even brief, regular reflection compounds across the year.
    What should I reflect on?
    Your lessons, your management, and the feedback you receive, and crucially, what one thing you will change next, so reflection leads to action.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

    Workshop
    Working With Your Mentor
    Workshop
    Understanding Your Evaluation
    Workshop
    Metacognition & Study Skills