Because reflective practice springs from the needs and interests of the practitioners, it can address this variety. It can be constructed as an individual or group process, although, because good reflective practice draws upon the input of learners, colleagues, and others, it is by nature collective. Reflective practice is immediately useful to adult ESL practitioners who have limited time and resources to divide between teaching and professional development. Because it asks practitioners to make connections between what is happening in a specific context and their broader beliefs, it can be useful to those who move from site to site and teach in varied contexts. Opportunities to explore and reflect on new techniques, ideas, and approaches are built into the process, and links between theory and practice are central.
Reflective practice calls for ongoing exercise of intellect, responsibility, and professionalism.
It promotes deliberate actions in planning and implementing instruction and ongoing engagement with theory. Teachers improve their ability to react and respond as they are teaching-to assess, revise, and implement approaches and activities on the spot. Reflective practice creates a cyclical process that allows time for reflection, implementation, and follow-up. It centers on development and exercise of skills and attitudes that eventually become a regular part of good teaching. Once mastered, it should integrate with regular teaching responsibilities.