California Professional Standards for Education Leaders · 5A–2
Reflect on areas for improvement and take responsibility for change and growth.
Reflection is not self-criticism. It is the disciplined conversion of experience and feedback into a better next attempt.
What this looks like in practice
{"Useful reflection is specific"=>"what the leader intended, what happened, what evidence supports that judgment, what conditions contributed, and what will change. Taking responsibility means owning one\u2019s contribution without pretending to control every factor."}
A small growth cycle is often more credible than a broad annual goal. Collect a manageable artifact—meeting talk time, response latency, decision follow-through, or staff feedback—practice one change with a mentor, and review the result quickly.
Developing the practice
Choose a narrow behavior
Define something observable that is within the leader’s control and connected to an important outcome.
Invite usable feedback
Ask a specific question of people positioned to observe the behavior, including those least likely to volunteer criticism.
Make the next attempt visible
State what will change, practice it, and return to the same evidence rather than declaring growth complete.
Useful connections
Teacher Standard 6.1
The parallel teacher standard offers a useful mentoring bridge for discussing reflective practice across roles.
Questions for reflection and mentoring
- Can I name a recent piece of feedback that changed my behavior?
- Am I choosing a growth goal or choosing language that protects my self-image?
- What will a colleague be able to observe in my next attempt?