Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is Donald Schön's term for the cognitive mode in which professionals deliberately step back from action to examine their own thinking, assumptions, and patterns. Schön distinguished *reflection-in-action* (thinking during the action) from *reflection-on-action* (thinking afterward); both are distinct from the non-reflective default of acting on habit or intuition alone. Reflective practice is the foundation for all retrieval-reflection activities — Minute Paper, Muddiest Point, Two-Stars-and-a-Wish, Structured Silence, and Exit Ticket all operationalize reflective practice in specific formats. Stephen Brookfield's work on critical reflection and Jack Mezirow's transformative-learning research extended the framework for adult education and professional development.