How soon after you determine that an activity you undertook did not go well last time do you start thinking about how to improve or fix it next time? How soon after you recall something that turned out particularly well last time do you start feeling eager to do it again next time?

Often, the answer is: “immediately”! Every practitioner wants to do better – to continually elevate their effectiveness, for their own professional growth and satisfaction, plus the growth and success of their students. However, we often fail to engage consistently in the discipline of timely introspection or self-examination.

Performance Fact’s Self-reflection Log process heightens the practitioner’s mindfulness about their practice – in just 2-3 minutes each day, or 10-15 minutes per week. We view it as a meditation on the effectiveness of one’s professional practice – the parts that work well and those that need improvement. The process involves:

• Rating how effectively you implemented your professional practices
• Identifying patterns in those self-ratings across time (such as weekly ratings for a marking period or assessment cycle)
• Committing to at least one tangible, continuous improvement step that you’ll act on immediately

The Self-reflection Log activity balances higher-order thinking with the reflective act of allowing, relaxing into, or “tending one’s garden.” Using these approaches, each practitioner can assess their progress on the journey toward mastering their craft. And – because continuous improvement of adult practices precedes continuous improvement of student learning – the farther the practitioner has traveled on their journey, the stronger the outcomes for their students.

▶ Recommended interval for the MONITOR AND ADJUST Self-reflection Log process: Every week