Collegiate educators: From novice to distinction

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore reflective practices of lived experiences of collegiate educators as they progressed from novice to distinction. Specifically, this study investigated how a phenomenon connects to consciousness from lived experiences of teachers who proceeded from novice to a distinguished collegiate educator (DCE).;Through this exploration the researcher recognized perceptions that surfaced as to how educators exercise reflective practices through a reservoir of experiences that were advantageous for professional practice. This study further accentuates how distinguished faculty emphasized the process of reflective practice through their lived experiences.;By means of phenomenology the sample was purposefully selected, which included six collegiate educators from institutions in the North and Southeast regions of the United States. One-on-one structured interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of common themes among participants experiencing this phenomenon and how educators, through reflective practice, made sense of their constructed reality. The data were analyzed with NVivo10 inductive analysis exploring the structures of reflective practice processes in lived experiences.;Key Words: lived experience, reflective practice, distinguished educator, phenomenology.