Promotes individual and collective learning of participants as they undertake formal staff development.

In this invaluable and unique resource, leadership and organizational development expert Stephen S. Kaagan presents a unique guide for educators who enjoy challenging themselves and who hunger for new ideas and a fresh perspective of staff development. It promotes individual and collective learning of all participants as they undertake formal staff development while enhancing the success and performance of the entire educational system. In this Second Edition of Stephen Kaagan's bestselling work, the author adapts his exercises to the classroom. Since the exercises are experiential, by definition they intensify student's emotional connections with course content. Collaborative by design, the exercises, when adapted, can also promote mutual accountability for classroom learning. With students positioned as learning resources for each other, the teacher is better able to mediate learning as well as direct it.

Acknowledgments About the Author Author's Preface to the Second Edition Part I. The Power of Reflective Exercises for Staff Development

Guiding Principles

Making the Exception to Current Practice the Rule

Committing to Organizational Learning Concepts

The Special Contributions of Senge et al.

A Personal Approach to Teaching and Consulting

Important Caveats Part II. 30 Reflective Exercises Exercises Arranged by Topic and Purpose

Mental Markers: Expanding the Boundaries

1. Animal Attributes

2. Ancestors

3. Pushpins

4. Suprise Me

5. E-xplore Assets

6. Instant History

7. Bringing the Outside In

8. Best, Worst

9. What to Keep, What Not

10. Leadership Metaphors

Making Mutual Meaning: Reflecting Together

11. Dashing Dual Interview

12. E-xplore Perspectives

13. Snapshots

14. Rotating Pencils

15. Listening for Assumptions

16. Fruits of Silence

17. See

18. Patchwork Perspectives

19. Stakes

20. Vision Sketch

Maintaining Momentum: Moving Forward

21. Begin, Begin, Begin

22. Modest Expectations

23. Informed Purpose

24. Beginning at the End

25. Context Map

26. The "View From Downtown"

27. E-xplore by Association

28. Unheard Voices

29. Blame Game

30. Standing Offer Part III. Using Appropriate Exercises

Vignette 1: Slowing Down to Speed Up

Vignette 2: Deepening the Discourse

Vignette 3: Finding Common Ground

Vignette 4: Diminishing Divisiveness

Concluding Comments Bibliography Index