What the direct categories for guided reflective practice mean?

In the role of supervisor, clinical teacher, or mentor, it will be necessary to provide information, research and/or theory, opinions, and ideas. The sharing of information may serve as introduction to new material, build on the thinking of the intern or beginning teacher, review important ideas, or focus the teacher's attention on a crucial issue. However, it is important once again to offer information in ways that are responsive to the current development of your colleague.

Thus, if the beginning teacher's journal entries regularly disdain theory, show a preference for concrete thinking, and describe personal teaching events in perfunctory ways, the mentor, "starting where the adult learner is," would offer information in smaller amounts, relate this information to observed practice, and review the ideas regularly.

On the other hand, if the beginning teacher employs abstract analysis and reflective judgment, shows evidence of originality in adapting innovations to the classroom, and is articulate in the description of his or her teaching, the mentor's developmental matching response might relate information to relevant theory and contrast with competing theories. Larger composite concepts could be offered, and less review is needed.

Sometimes it will be necessary, after reading the portfolio or journal of an intern or beginning teacher, to write a statement that is intended as a direction. For example, when the clinical teacher writes, "Please stop by my office tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 so that I can share some new curriculum strategies with you," the educator is giving a direction. This category relates to our discussions about structure. We now know that some interns and novice teachers, at less complex cognitive-developmental levels, will prefer detailed instructions and high structure, be low on self-direction, and follow curriculum as if it were "carved in stone." The matching response is to offer detailed instructions and directions when appropriate. Remember that your colleague is doing the best he/she can at that particular point in his/her personal and professional development. If the intern is high on self-direction and prefers low structure, the mentor should rarely offer directions in journal or portfolio development dialogue.

Anyone who has worked as a mentor teacher educator or college supervisor knows that problems can arise in the internship or beginning teacher experience. How the novice colleague adapts to the problems offers an insight into reflective judgment level. For example, if the intern's journal portrays personal difficulty in accepting responsibility for problems and tends to blame others, the mentor must initially accept the feelings and thoughts shared by the colleague. We have transposed category 7 of Flanders to permit giving constructive feedback in the form of "I"messages or "responsibility messages." "I" messages share feelings while avoiding the negative impact that accompanies criticism. When we address "journal mismatching," you will see that the next step in responding is very important if learning and development are the aims of a mentoring or teacher education program. When the beginning teacher accepts responsibility for his or her actions, the mentor's response is to accept, in writing, the feelings and thoughts of the colleague.

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