(Week 12) Larrivee's Levels of Reflection

For my last post in my Learning Log for Lorayne's course "Critical and Reflective Practice in Education", I would like to use Larrivee's assessment tool to describe my own level of reflection, both past and present.

Early in my teaching career, before 2008, I was, as the above card accurately portrays, mainly in the Pre-Reflection (Level 1) and Surface Reflection (Level 2) stages.  Why do I think so?  Well, I taught my classes with the express purpose of relaying information with minimal support from any established theories, research or best practices.  As such, I was very teacher-centered considering most of my beliefs were based on my own classroom experience.  My focus was on short-term results and did not recognize the different learning needs of students.  As described in the article, my concern was, "mainly with means, rather then ends".

Since this time, I have been engaging in much higher levels of reflection.

Based on the following descriptors, in Larrivee's article, I would say that I'm currently navigating between Levels 3 and 4:

To break this down even further, before Lorayne's class, my practice indicated I was more in Level 3.  Having completed an M.Sc. in Linguistics at Aston University, in 2008, I developed a good habit of questioning my own assumptions and strategies based on theory and research in the field of TESL including how:

•  ELL's successfully acquire a second language, 
• to measure learning needs 
• to implement different methodologies such as Problem-Based Learning
• to assess students fairly, 
• to involve students' prior knowledge, 
• find alternative ways to represent information, and;
• constructively criticize my own learning

However, it wasn't until I moved back to Canada, in 2012, when I started to think beyond the classroom and different theories to look very seriously at what it means to have a quality educational experience and reflect upon the principles of justice and equality.  In Lorayne's course, my Critical Incident group used my current situation as the "International Student Support Officer" to address the "low retention rates of International students at Algoma University".  Based on the realities of my job, I've encountered a great deal of diversity, and because of this, I've had to seriously reexamine and question my own set of believes and learn how to suspend judgement - all of which, according to Larrivee, are descriptors of Critical Reflection!  

(Week 11) Learning Outcomes / Depth and Breadth

In this post, I would like to revisit the learning outcomes for the Critical and Reflective Practice in Education to determine whether or not I have achieved them.  During this process, I will be addressing the two dimensions of criticality: depth and breadth (Thompson & Thompson, 2008).

Before I start my self-assessment of the prescribed learning outcomes, I would like to post the learning outcomes for Lorayne's course below:

 Learning Outcomes

1. Using technology locate, organize, analyze, and critically examine foundational theory and research on teaching and learning in digital contexts, critical theory, and reflection. Apply these understandings to construct a definition of critical, reflective practice.

2. Compare specific educational strategies based on current research and theory of teaching and learning and reflect on how these strategies have impacted personal learning in the past and are impacting personal learning presently.

3. Take on the persona of a critical, reflective practitioner and reflect on your learning in this course, interrogating its instructional design and assessment strategies.

4. Collectively and individually participate actively in learning and reflection by analyzing and reflecting continuously on learning in digital contexts (such as online learning).

5. Through participation in this course and other activities, reflect on personal growth as a critical, reflective practitioner.



Through the core readings, I've been able to understand what is meant by a critical, reflective practitioner.  In particular, the ideas of Dewey (1933) and Schon (1992, 1995)  have provided me with a solid framework for how a professional can reflect upon past experiences and improve his/her current practice by blending theory and practice together.  This has allowed me to spread my roots which is represented in the picture of the tree above.

Together with Lorayne's teachings and her participatory exercises about mindfulness and different ways of learning (including somatic and/or body learning) have resulted in the alternation of my own educational strategies to account for the "whole" individual and to become more cognizant of learner-centered education.  I'm starting to understand that there are alternative forms of data representation out there and that I should be more conscious of those mediums to allow my students to express themselves.

The criticisms of Schon,offered by Kotzee (2012), Thomposon & Pascal (2012), among others, have allowed further insight to understanding the nature of social practice and to go beyond thinking about "practice" in a general way. I feel that, over the past 12 weeks my roots have continued to grow deeper which has only been further nurtured by excellent class participation.

Through the group work and assignments,  I have been able to actively discuss, analyze, reflect and expand upon the ideas in the readings and learn from the authentic working contexts and critical incidents other participants have brought forward during the course.  It is through this kind of open dialogue that we've been able to expand on my own ideas and gather new insights.  In this course, I have also been able to learn about the levels or types of reflection (Van Manen, 1977, Larrivee 2008) and the ideas of depth and breadth brought forward by Thompson & Thompson (2008), shown below:




I agree with Thompson & Thompson, in that one has to dig deeper or look under the surface to look at the assumptions we have and then consider how they fit into society as a whole.  Of course, there are always power relationships at play which should not be ignored and/or excluded. To engage in this kind of discussion the class has had to engage in higher order thinking (HOTs) skills present in the upper hierarchy of Bloom's Taxonomy - namely to be able to analyze, evaluate, and create.



I would like to give you a clear example of when I was able to reflect upon my current practice, investigate assumptions and power relations, and use HOTs.  It was when I had to analyze, as part of our groups Critical Incident, the current orientation services provided for international students at Algoma.  By doing so, our group was able to evaluate what other institutions are doing and then revamp our current programming to better suit the needs of our diverse student body.  

Lastly, as evidenced in my individual learning log, I have been able to continue my growth as a reflective practitioner by making continual connections between theory and practice.  In this sense, I'm becoming more of an active participant in my own learning, willing to question (or validate) the knowledge and skills and experience which I'm currently using at Algoma.

I believe the Lorayne's teachings have also helped be to become more open-minded, as an individual, and to have a more inquiring approach to learn from the experience of my co-workers.

In summary, I feel that I've had considerable growth throughout this course, which I will keep with me throughout the rest of my professional practice.

I'm very appreciative of Loryane's teachings and the input I received from my colleagues.

(Week 10) My own teaching philosophy

In this post, I would like to share some of my own teaching philosophy and, where possible, make connections to what I have learned so far this semester.

At Algoma, I find myself in a very unique situation because our university was the former site of the Shinwauk Residential School which closed it's doors in 1971.  Because of this history, and our northern location, part of our university's mandate is to cultivate cross-cultural learning between aboriginal communities and other communities.

Over the past 4 year's, I have learned a lot about the experiences of the residential school survivors, and, every chance I get, I go out of my way to honour the history of our campus.  As part of AU's commitment to providing a respectful, inclusive and innovative education environment for Anishinaabe (First Nations, Metis and Inuit) students, the university has entered into a Covenant with the Shingwauk Education Trust.  As stated on our university website, "The Covenant is a document through which both parties pledge to work together for the furtherance of Anishinaabe education and research."

For the English for Academic Purposes Program (EAPP), I have worked hard to shape our curriculum so that it reflects the historic roots of our campus and is culturally relevant to indigenous culture and traditional values.  One of the central ideas or themes is the following aboriginal medicine wheel:

There are many depictions/variations of the medicine wheel but most have the same central concepts or themes.  The circular shape represents the continuous interaction of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realities and the inter-connectivity of all aspects of one being, including the connection with the natural world.  It typically has a clockwise direction or follows the direction of the sun. The directions can also represent the stages of life, season of the year, aspects of life (spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical) animals (eagle, bear, wolf, buffalo), four directions (north, south, east, west) etc. Each of these have meaning separate from the other sections but when taken together, they are even more powerful.  Many of the aboriginal teachings and practices are based on the inter relatedness between these elements and keeping a balance in mother nature.

In the center of the wheel, are the important concepts of the "creator" and "me".  Individuals (i.e. students) have to understand themselves before they venture outwards on their journey to learn more about the interconnectedness and interrelatedness of all things represented by the medicine wheel. 

As I reflect on what I have learned in this course, I see a lot of connections to the medicine wheel. The emphasis put on student-centered learning, the different kinds of learning (ex. somatic), the tacit knowledge that one brings with them through life, the role of the surrounding environment etc. I feel that the Medicine wheel is a great model to guide the development of pedagogy at Algoma where all parts of life may be represented equally.  In this light, it is also extremely important for teachers to understand themselves before venturing out from the center and part of this realization can be achieved through the process of critical reflection. 

(Week 9) Critical Incidents

In Week 9, we discussed the article by Griffin (2002) "Using critical incidents to promote and assess reflective thinking in preservice teachers".  This article triggered me to think back to the time when I graduated from Lakehead University to teach overseas.  As I mentioned in my second post of this blog "My Journey", I taught ESL in Korea using a toolbox full of the knowledge and skills I learned in my teacher education program.  However, based on my inexperience in the classroom - not being much more than a pre-service teacher, I quickly reverted back my own education experience as a kid, full of assumption and believes about what and how to teach.  The article refers to this phenomenon as a 'latent philosophy of education" (Henry, 1999, p. 53). However, I wonder about the term "latent" because in my experience, you can spot a new teacher a mile away!

The main reason, I believe, this happened is because, during this time, I was a very "concrete thinker" as opposed to an "alert novice" which means that I was more concerned with, as the article explains, the 'how to' or 'what works' questions or the effective application of skills and technical knowledge in the classroom.  As I reflect back on this time, there was also another barrier for me as a young teacher and that was "time".  I was required to teach 30 contact hours with students ranging in age from 5 to 18 years of age which left me no chance to reflect upon my own practice.  During these years oversees, I was more concerned with organizing my lessons, keeping track of attendance and motoring students' behavior in my classes.  The 5 minutes afforded between classes and the limited prep-time did not adequately provide time for critical reflection.  Problems or challenges which I identified were more often than not, addressed on the fly without being recorded for subsequent review.  Over time, as I mentioned in my second post, this led me to feeling of frustration and disappointment because I knew there was more to education than just the transfer of information.

I posted the above picture because this is how I often felt teaching in the kind of environment described above.  Deep down inside, I knew that sticking to the teacher-centered style of learning, although easier to manage the students, was a disservice to the students and to my own professional growth as a teacher.

(Week 8) Building on the work of Schon and discovering gaps

For Week 8, I was partnered with Vicki as the lead discussants for the article by Ben Kotzee entitled "Private practice: exploring the missing social dimension in 'reflective practice'". I had worked well with Vicki in the past so I was very happy to work with her again .  We met on several occasions to discuss the article and I have to say I was surprised by the amount of discussion/collaboration we had in preparation for our lead discussion.  We discussed Schon's 'reflective practice' and whether or not it effectively explains how people learn professionally.  We talked about how Schon leaves out the social nature of practice (Ben Kotzee's main criticism), the role of tacit knowledge plays, the concept of expert vs. novice, and Schon's concepts of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action.  Lastly, we discuss Schon's views of teaching reflection-in-action as artistry.

Out of all our conversations, I would have to say that Schon's expert versus novice was the most interesting especially when talking about his notion of the "architect's studio.  Schon explains "the different abilities of the architect and his student to design a building as a difference not in what the student and the architect can know or say but in what they can do almost without thinking and saying - the architect's mastery compared to the student's inexperience can be explained in terms of the architect's more extensive and fluent 'reflection-in-action'".  Vicki and I didn't buy into this theory because how can you then explain the likes of Joey Alexander, the gifted piano prodigy from Indonesia.

How at the age of 12 could he become such an expert?  How could he be better than other professional piano players who have played for 30 or 40 years?  How is Joey able to have such a feel for music?  I agree with Schon that being an expert comes down to "artistry" or a sense of "intuitive knowing" but I think the amount of time a person has to build up the store of tacit knowledge needed to become and expert is not a defining factor.

After our presentation, one of the main takeaways is that I had a much deeper reflection on the article and came away with a lot more knowledge because of the social dimension which existed during my group work with Vicki. In this sense, I feel that Kotzee was on to something about how Schon may have overlooked the social nature of refection.

(Week 7) Alternative ways of learning

The reading by Eisner (1997) provided a lot of information about alternative forms of representation which can be used to convey what we have learned about the educational world.   It also addressed their limitations. The first part of the article which caught my eye was the bottom of page five where he mentions that, "research does not belong to science alone".  I agree, especially when you consider qualitative research which has continued to grow in popularity especially at graduate levels of study.  In week 5, the article by Ulrich (2000) talked about bridging the divide between the "professional" and the "laymen" and I feel that part of this answer would be to consider other forms of representation whether it be stories, pictures, diagrams, drama or theater.  In one of the breakout sessions during this class, our group had a very interesting discussion about the power of art and of photography in relaying messages and/or information.  We talked about how the terminology used by academics in quantitative research is, by nature, very exclusive of the average person.  

This line of thinking also makes makes me reflect back on my post for Week 3 where Schon talked about the differences between the higher ground and the swamp and how academics are so far removed from the everyday issues/problems common people face in the world.  All this begs the question, "What is the best method to advance human understanding?".  In the field of education, we should be more open to alternative forms of representation such as "Action Research" which, in my option, supports the growth of ideas at the classroom level.  All too often we overlook the firsthand knowledge the teachers bring to the table based on authentic experiences for what is written in academic journals.  I agree with how  Eisner describes research as a way for people "to reduce what we have learned to text and number" and how we "often talk about knowledge as if it is consisted of measurable units".  This, unfortunately, often describes what information we widely accept and which we do not.  

(Week 6) Towards a Theory of Online Learning

For Week 6, we had an asynchronous class where we were responsible for submitting a paper based on our reflection on Anderson's paper "Towards a theory of online learning".  For this paper, we were to consider our own needs as a learner in this online class and the elements of design which are optimal for them.

Having spent 15 years in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), I have come to a place where, as I reflect on this time, I see two particular areas of need bubbling on the surface. The first is my need, or thirst, for knowledge in the field of Educational Technology.  The second, is my need to be challenged and to approach topics from more of an analytical or critical point of view so that I may improve upon my current practice.  
I see these two needs being interlinked and because of that I would like to keep them in the same melting pot as I continue my reflection.

In my paper, I talked about the general design of the UOIT program and the affordances of the Internet, as I described what facets of the platform have been optimal for my aforementioned learning needs.  For this blog, I would like to reflect more specifically on Lorayne's Critical and Reflective Practice in Education.  I will start out by saying that this course has been the best one I have taken so far in the program because of Lorayne's emphasis on, as the name of the course mirrors,  "reflection" and about being "critical". Through the ongoing interaction within the breakout rooms and group work, I have been able to learn through other participants' perspectives and gather firsthand information from real-life contexts.  Like other courses, there has been an emphasis put on the core readings but Lorayne is able to bring the concepts to life by giving us the time we need to reflect on the ideas.  In other courses, I always felt pushed or rushed to move on to new concepts without being able to dive deeper into what was presented.  Because we were able to work together, and effectively share our ideas I really feel that I've belonged to a real community of learners and that Lorayne has kept the focus on student-centered education.  

As I wrote in my paper, I would like "to be able to incorporate technology into the classroom and feel adequately prepared for a world where everything is in constant flux".  Through the UOIT program, I have come to the realization that there is not one simple recipe which will work for every classroom and that a teacher has to be very flexible and open to new ideas.  

During the first 8 courses in the M.Ed program, I have been exposed to many different learning theories and methodologies.  However, it is through the collaboration and dialogue with other professionals that I have been able to synthesize and be critical of the  information and ideas, where i feel the real learning begins.  In this respect, I see this higher order thinking to be integral to any graduate program.  

(Week 5): Mindfulness Meditation

The third reading in Week 5, was the one by Elghalaieni (2015) entitled, "A review of on the beneficial effects of mindfulness meditation".  This article explained all the health benefits associated with mindfulness like reduced stress and anxiety.  As I reflect on this article, I can't help but to think back to a local Immigration Forum in Sault Ste Marie which I attended as one of three representatives from Algoma University.  Most of the morning was full of information workshops - well worth our time.  However, in the afternoon, there was a series of speakers who are recent newcomers to the Sault which didn't provide much information.  In particular, one lady from India, who runs a new yoga studio in town, did a series of breathing exercises with those in attendance that lasted from about 40 minutes.  When she started, I thought that she would only be providing about 5 minutes of techniques but in then end, she ended up instructing the class for about 40 minutes.  As a willing participant at the start, I found the first 10 minutes very calming as I was able to reduce some anxiety and stress I was feeling on that given day.  However, as she continued through the exercises, the reverse started to happen - my stress and anxiety actually started to build up.  I started to think about how unsupportive our university would have been to see three of its employees with the eyes closed humming mantras at 2pm in the afternoon during company time.




Although I do see benefit from mindfulness exercises, I wonder if I, personally, would be able to dedicate the time to get myself to a place where I would be able to relax enough to use them.  In an earlier post, I talked about the Buddhist monks being so at piece with themselves. I wonder if that takes a lot of practice as well.  

(Week 5) Reflective Practice in the Civil Society

(Week 5)

In Week 5, the second assigned reading was an article entitled, "Reflective Practice in the Civil Society: The contribution of critically systemic thinking" by Ulrich (2000).  Although this was one of the more difficult articles to get through, I really enjoyed its content.   

Ulrich's ideas revolving around corporatist society, including special interest groups, having more "legitimacy" than the individual citizen really struck a cord with me.  To explain why, I would like to apply his ideas to the field of education.

Everyday, as a teacher, I feel the separation that exists between the world of teacher and that of academic research.  Unfortunately, much of the educational research conducted by those in the academy is largely irrelevant to teachers' lives in schools.  On the other hand, many academics dismiss the knowledge produced through teacher research as trivial and inconsequential to their work. This kind of mistrust and under-appreciation creates a power struggle in education, which, as Ulrich mentions in his article, leaves very little room for teacher to act as an "individual" or to function as a "citizen".

In the article, Ulrich talks about the difference between "professionals" and "lay people".  At no time do I personally consider teachers to be considered part of the "lay people" category.  To enter, and stay in, the teaching profession, requires a high level of education, training and professional development.  As I reflect on this point, I can see more clearly why academics view teachers as a treat to sound professional practice rather than a basis and support for it.  As the article suggests, there really needs to a bridge between civil society (the teacher) and the concept of professionalism (the academic).

At the start of this post, I put the picture of the "eye" because of the following quote from the article: "Reflective practice risks being blind if it shuts its eye to the issue of responsible citizenship."  To legitimatize and include teachers reflections, I agree with Ulrich in that the notion of citizenship has to change to include a new set of "civil competencies".  His concept of boundary judgments, shown below, as a way to deal with the divides between the individual and the corporatist society makes room for this to happen.

By understanding the context of each group, educational research can include both teacher produced knowledge and knowledge produced by those in the academy. This will go a long way to close the divide which exists between the tow and greatly benefit the processes of teacher development, school reform, and teacher education.  

(Week 4) Could Taekwondo be a Pathway for Somatic Ways of Knowing?

Another very strong takeaway from this class will be "whole person learning" which is often overlooked in Western culture.  We tend to separate the mind from the body and think that all our learning is in our head.  I like the example the article, "Creating Space for Somatic Ways of Knowing with Transformative Learning Theory" (Amann, 2003) where it talks about disease and how a person can research the symptoms, but until they actually experience the symptoms, this knowledge is all external.  It is only through the somatic experience that the symptoms can be understood internally.  The article goes on to explain that somatic learning is "felt by the body" and describes the four main areas of somatic learning: kinesthetic, sensory, affective and spiritual.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I took at course in kineselogy which helped me increase my awareness of my own body movement which was a powerful learning moment.  As I read through each of the other areas, I kept thinking of which sport or activity that would tap into each one.  I have my kids taking Taekwondo, a Korean martial art, twice a week and they love the exercises that they do for breathing and how the class all shout out at once when they do power punches or kicks.  I believe that these practices allow the students to become sensitive to their senses.  The whole idea about spiritual learning is also evident.  For example, the class reciting the following chant, "discipline, respect,confidence, patience, honour - combine them for good attitude" is very representative of Buddhist thought which aims to create balance in life.  I believe my children have had a spiritual awakening through Taekwondo and are developing a cultural awareness of their Korean background through this martial art form.

(Week 4) Critical Reflection

In this post I would like to reflect on Jack Mezirow's article "Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood", which was very helpful in differentiating between meaning schemes and meaning perspectives.  The former is based on habit or event sequences such as the sun rises in the east and set in the west.  The latter, are made up of higher order schemata, which are open to assumptions based on one's past experiences, belief systems, cultural assimilation, etc.  I like the example, given in the article about the painting and how one might judge it to be beautiful whereas another person may think it is ugly based on certain stereotypes and/or ways of knowing which are usually imprinted upon us at a very young age.

Reading through Mezirow's article, I learned that critical reflection is to "challenge the validity of presuppositions in prior learning".  In this sense, "to be critical, one has to challenge what has already been established as far as the problem and reassess our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling and acting".

The article goes on to identify 3 common areas of distortion in meaning perspective where meaning perspectives can be transformed - epistemic, sociocultural and psychic.

I would like to reflect on the socio-cultural distortion by using the following video:

Socio-cultural distortion is about our "belief systems that pertain to power and social rlationships, especially those currently prevailing and legitimized and enforced by institutions".  In the video, it talks about labels which are given from birth.  The world "force feeds" us these labels which we must swallow, digest and accept.  I really like the part of the video where the speaker talks about his body as a vehicle that he drives around and how people judge him for his body, not for who he is on the inside.  The dealership is society who labels certain editions "black" or "white" and once you have a car you are forced to drive it the rest of your life.  Growing up in a small town like Sault Ste Marie there are many stereotypes against people who are not white, middle class, "ordinary folk". As such, it is difficult for many of our International students to feel comfortable when they leave our campus which is very diverse.  They feel like they do have labels attached to me especially if they wear their customary dress from their home country!

(Week 4) Poppy Field - Mindfulness Exericise

At the beginning of week 4, Lorayne shared a picture, similar to the one above, showing a field full of poppies.  She directed our attention first to the flowers and then to the warmth of the sun in the distance.  I find these short moments of reflection in this class very powerful because I'm not able to set aside much time for personal reflection.  Like many of the participants in this class, I have a full-time job and a family that requires my attention outside of work hours.  With this said, I do cherish all the small moments spent with my kids.

One  moment I remember fondly in Korea, was a sunny afternoon spent with my wife and daughter, Myles, along a river bank near our apartment.  We found a field of yellow flowers and we managed  to take some time out of our busy day to appreciate their beauty.  I remember the feel of the warm sun on this day, how clean the air felt and the smell of the flowers.  It is crazy how this moment seems so fresh to me - I believe it is because I paused to appreciate the simple beauty of this occasion.  

As written in his book, "mindfulness means paying attention is a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmental.  This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present moment reality.  If we are not fully present for many of these moments, we may no only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation."

Based on this reading, I will try hit the "pause" button on life more so that I'm able to enjoy more moments like these with my family.  As Jon states, "Mindfulness is the polar opposite of taking life for granted."

I'm confident, this is one of the most profound lessons I've learned through this course.  For this reason, I believe Lorayne's lessons really do transcend her course objectives!

(Week 3) Reflection-in-action!

In my last post, I reflected on real-life example of how Schon's idea of the high-ground vs. swamp in my local context here at Algoma University.  In this post, I would like to reflect on Schon's  "reflection-in-action".

While I was completing my education undergraduate degree at Lakehead, my two teachables were Geography and Physical Education.  I remember taking this one course in Kinesiology (also known as human kinetics), where the professor asked me to explain to the class how to "perform a free throw".  Having played basketball my whole life, I quickly, and confidently, accepted the challenge.  However, at that time, I didn't realize that I had never really thought about the mechanics behind the movement and I simply wasn't able to verbalize the motion much to my embarrassment.   The professor then used my failure to explain about tacid knowledge and knowing-in-action. It was a powerful learning moment for me and it taught me, through my own ridicule, to think more from the body, not just the mind.  

In the one of Schon's articles, he gave the example of refection-in-action with the crooked fence.  I relate to this description, because woodworking is one of my favorite hobbies.  I agree that there is a lot of problem solving and reflection-in-action involved within this trade. The whole expression "measure twice, cut once" is a great representation of how a woodworker goes about any project constantly reflecting on each measurement and how the project will all finally fit together in the end.  My father, a seasoned carpenter, always tells me that the real secret to good woodworking is covering up all your mistakes as you work on any project.

The woodworking example, above, is a great representation of how a typical layman might go about refection-in-action. In Schon's article, the Crisis of Professional Knowledge", he explains how many teachers, as practitioners, have a hard time describing what they know and do not know and, as such, might view reflection-in-action as a threat or sign of weakness .  However, Schon's sees this reflection-in-action as part of competent practice and that it is of critical importance.  Can teachers be taught to have a capacity for reflection-in-action or invent on the spot to help students before them?  This is a good question which was posed in class which resulted in a great discussion for Week 3.  I believe that refection-in-action comes intuitively because I've met very few teachers, who don't want to improve their practice.  To do so, there has to an inbuilt system of checking and/or reaffirming that what you are doing at the moment, as a teacher, is meeting the needs of your students.   In this sense, it is like an internal set of checks and balances.