About
Pondering Practice invites educators across education and care settings to explore, break down and demystify the concept of critical reflection, building confidence to embed reflective practice in meaningful, practical ways.
The workshop supports educators to reflect on their own strengths, biases, assumptions and tacit knowledge, and to consider how these shape everyday professional and pedagogical decisions. Through this process, educators are supported to take proactive steps towards creating culturally safe, inclusive environments where all children, young people and families feel welcomed, respected and valued.
With a strong focus on real-world practice, the session workshops achievable strategies for embedding reflection into everyday work. Educators explore how critical reflection can strengthen inclusion, sharpen professional judgement and contribute to a genuine Thinking Curriculum - where educators, children and young people co-construct experiences, understanding and meaning.
Participants deepen their understanding of critically reflective practice by examining their own pedagogy and professional practice, building confidence to grow, refine and adapt their work in ways that support the wellbeing, belonging and participation of all children and young people.
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See workshop overviews, learning focus, and delivery options in one clear, printable PDF.
We will
- Demystify critical reflection together, exploring what makes reflection critical rather than descriptive, and how tacit knowledge, assumptions and biases shape everyday practice.
- Unpack how legislation, approved frameworks and service philosophy inform reflective practice and influence everyday professional decisions with children, young people and families.
- Examine how critical reflection strengthens inclusion, responsive and individualised practice, and educators’ capacity to meet the needs of children and young people through a humanistic, guidance-oriented lens.
- Explore real-world strategies that support a genuine Thinking Curriculum, where educators, children and young people co-construct experiences, understanding and meaning.
- Build confidence in weaving reflective practice across programs, environments, relationships and professional identity.
Participant Outcomes:
This workshop will spark a passion for and deepen your understandings of reflective practice! By the end, you will have…
- Increased clarity and confidence in what critical reflection is and how to apply it meaningfully each day.
- A stronger understanding of how the EYLF, NQF, VEYLDF, MTOP and legislation guide reflective practice.
- Greater confidence in co-constructing thinking and learning with children as partners in reflection.
- Deeper insight into personal biases, assumptions, and tacit knowledge, supporting culturally safe and inclusive practice.
- A rich toolkit of strategies, ideas, and reflective processes to strengthen high-quality, intentional pedagogy.
Theoretical Perspectives
Thinking Curriculum
Dr V. Jean Russell
A ‘Thinking Curriculum’ emphasises learning environments where children and educators co-construct meaning, inquiry, and reflective dialogue together. The workshop cultivates this through reflective practice as embedded elements in everyday pedagogy and decision-making.
Tacit Knowledge & Bias
Collins (2010) & Kinsella (2007)
Tacit knowledge is the unspoken beliefs, experiences and assumptions that shape practice. These internal influences must be examined to ensure ethical, equitable decision making. The workshop supports educators to recognise and unpack their own tacit knowledge and bias.
Learning Circles for Educators Engaged in Study
Dr Jennifer Cartmel
Professional learning is a collaborative, dialogic, and inquiry-driven process. This underpins the workshop’s use of shared reflection, discussion, and professional enquiry to build collective understanding and strengthen team culture.
Four-Step Reflection Process
John Smyth
Smyth’s model; Describe, Inform, Confront and Reconstruct, provides a clear structure for analytical reflection. This process informs the workshop’s reflective framework, guiding educators into transformative, practice changing reflection.
National Alignments
Quality area 1 – Educational Program and Practice (Elements 1.1.1, 1.3.2): strengthens critically reflective, program decisions that respond meaningfully to children’s identities, needs, and ways of learning.
Quality area 4 – Staffing Arrangements (Elements 4.2.1, 4.2.2): fosters collaborative, enquiry-driven team cultures that embeds shared reflection, professionalism, and collective decision-making.
Quality area 7 – Governance and Leadership (Elements 7.2.1, 7.2.3): embeds reflective practice in continuous improvement, informed decision-making, and exceeding-level pedagogical leadership.
Standard 1.5 – Know learners and how they learn: reflection supports deeper insight into children’s strengths, needs, cultural identities, and diverse ways of learning.
Standard 3.2 – Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning: critical reflection strengthens intentional and responsive practice that enhances program quality.
Standard 7.2 – Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: strengthens understanding of legal and regulatory expectations regarding critical reflection within the NQF.
Principle 1 – Child safety and wellbeing are embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture. Critical reflection supports upholding children’s rights, safety, inclusion and wellbeing.
Principle 2 – Children are safe, informed and participate in decisions affecting them. Reflective practice supports children as active contributors to shape programs, environments and experiences.
Principle 3 – Families and communities are informed and involved. Transparent, reflective communication with families and support culturally safe, collaborative partnerships.
Principle 5 – People working with children are suitable and supported. Educators develop reflective awareness, relational competence and cultural responsiveness.
Principle 6 – Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child-focused. Critical reflection shifts practice from blame or compliance to understanding needs, experiences and contexts, promoting compassionate, child-centred responses.
Social & Emotional Skills
- Encourages educators to reflect on how their interactions, expectations and environments support children’s emotional safety and co-regulation.
- Strengthens educator capability to respond thoughtfully to children’s cues, behaviours and wellbeing needs.
- Promotes reflective decision-making that nurtures resilience, confidence and positive peer relationships.
Access & Inclusion
- Supports educators to examine their own beliefs, biases and assumptions to ensure inclusive, culturally safe practice.
- Helps educators identify and remove barriers to participation through reflective adjustments to routines, environments and expectations.
- Builds a deeper understanding of how to actively welcome, value and support all children and families.
Oral Language & Communication
- Encourages educators to reflect on the quality, tone and intent of their communication with children.
- Strengthens serve-and-return interactions and responsive dialogue through reflective practice.
- Supports children’s expressive and receptive language by refining educator communication strategies.
Access & Inclusion
- Strengthens educators’ ability to reflect on biases, assumptions and decision-making that impact children’s access and experiences.
Social & Emotional Learning
- Deepens educator insight into how reflective practice shapes emotional safety, co-regulation and relational trust.
- Helps educators refine interactions and environments to nurture positive relationships and social competence.
Learning & Teaching (Professional Reflection)
- Builds educator capability to analyse practice, adapt strategies and respond thoughtfully to children’s diverse learning needs.
- Strengthens reflective cycles that improve the quality of planning, documentation and pedagogy.
- Supports continuous improvement that enhances engagement, curiosity and learning outcomes for all children.
Online course option
Prefer to engage in this training from the comfort of your own home? We get it!
That's why we created the self-paced online course, with video content and downloadable workbooks.
More on unlocking the power of critical reflection
Interested in unlocking the power of critical reflection? You can read all about it in our blog.
