Model of Reflective Practice
The Middle Way as model of Mindful Reflective Practice
The theory and practice of Integrative Mentoring for personal development incorporates an integral model of reflective practice adopting and adapting the work of John Heron. This model can be appreciated in terms of the four successive layers of personal development which are involved in minding self and others. The cumulative model is thus primarily focused on personal development and self-directed learning in a way that can then be applied by reflective practitioners to teaching, leadership and sustainability.
The EduSynthesis model of Reflective Practice starts with a simple but theoretically and practically rich layer of expansive knowing in a learning cycle of four modes.
Having started with a simple but rich cycle of Reflection in four modes of knowing, this is then seen to be engendered by four modes of psychological capacity: affective, imaginal, conceptual and practical. This combined layer of reflective practice at the heart of mentoring thus becomes the basic integrative practice that grounds the pursuit for personal development in relation to pedagogical, professional and planetary development.
The third layer of reflective practice builds in four modes by which mentors help anyone engage with this cumulative process. The EduSynthesis model aligns these modes of helping with aspects of the cycle of personal development but these should not be restricted to particular modes of knowing or psychological capacity if the client calls for a different application in relation to any stage of the process.
The fourth layer of the model integrates four modes of transpersonal development and practical spirituality. The mentoring process thus culminates in supporting various spiritual practices applied to selfwork which ground the craftwork of pedagogical development, the network of professional development and the worldwork of planetary development.
