“Reflective thinking is characterized by a view that knowledge is not a given, but instead must be actively constructed within a specific context.” (Martin, 2005, p. 106) Being able to reflect on your experiences, will improve your action research. This allows the principal to see what is working and what is not. Setting aside a time for reflection also allows for some stress relief as the day is winding down. Understanding that no two experiences are ever the same, and making decisions which occur in the three distinct stages of declarative, which is learning the facts, the associative stage, which is growth in declarative knowledge and the organization of the expert, and the autonomous stage, which is elaboration and refinement stage, will allow for the leader to move from being a novice to being an expert on making decisions. Expert leaders “Recognize the perspectives of others, accommodate how others learn, understand how hierarchy filters information, anticipate problems, prioritize relevant detail, and are comfortable with ambiguity.” (Martin, 2005, pp. 104-105) The goal of all interns is to become an expert in reflection and action. “Having the ability to think more deeply about a problem, and the ability to take action or make adjustments accordingly,” (Martin, 2005, p. 105) is the difference between a leader and a learner.
References
Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.
Martin, G. E. (2005). School leader internship (second ed.). Larchmont, New York: Eye on Education.
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