Reflecting Together or Reflecting Alone?

by Nicole Halton

 

 

Reflective practice. Those are two words that can strike fear in the hearts of many educators, but they don't need to be so scary. 

Reflecting Alone

There are a lot of reasons why educators may feel scared or overwhelmed at the thought of reflecting on their practice, but one of the biggest ones is that they are trying to do it alone. Sure, there is a place for reflecting alone - it's something most of us do in our heads on a daily basis, in various aspects of our lives. We think about whether we could have said something in a different way during a dinner with a friend, we ponder the choices we've made in our lives and play out the alternatives. Many of us are great at reflecting in our heads, but writing these things down can be tricky for some people. 

The other tricky part about reflecting alone - you only get your perspective. You can reflect on how you handled an interaction with a child, whether you responded in the right way. But you will only have your own insight, which - let's be honest - can be a little limiting. 

 

Reflecting Together

When we reflect together we benefit from varied perspectives. We benefit from creative, collaborative thinking. We benefit from bouncing around ideas and challenging one another.

This quote really sums it up for me. When we reflect together, out loud and on an ongoing basis, we create space for thinking and discussion that challenges us, that leads us to a deeper understanding of what we do.

It's why this year we created a Team Reflective Journal for the first time. While educators have loved our journals for over ten years (and I'm sure they will continue to do so!) we had some educators tell us last year that they found it hard to keep the momentum on their own. So, we thought - why not create a version of the journal that a team could collaborate on together? 

But what if I am alone?

If you are an FDC educator or a Nominated Supervisor, you might feel like you have no-one else to reflect with. That's simply not true - you might just have to work a little harder to create a community for reflection and thinking. FDC Educators could connect with fellow educators in their service (scheme), or with colleagues in the wider sector. Nominated Supervisors will surely be a part of reflective discussions within their own teams, but I would also encourage you to join or create a network of others in similar roles (either virtually or face to face) and make it a priority to engage in deep, reflective discussions. 

 

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