This is the 8th blog I have written since starting the teaching course in January and I have come to the alarming realisation that, at this late stage, (we submit our portfolio on Wednesday), I’m not sure I have understood what reflective writting is or how to reflect on my own work as a technician at UAL. I am looking at the learning outcomes for this unit and questioning if I am successfully completing any of them. In an attempt to understand why I am feeling so lost I am going to start putting together a list (glossary) of teaching terms mentioned in lectures and conversations with my tutor and see if I can think of examples of when I use these teaching activities in my daily work as a technician and reflect on how I feel about them. I think this is probably the wrong way round. I should be reflecting on any changing teaching practices or changes in myself that I have noticed and try to link them to theories policies and pedagogies, but that has not really worked so far so I will try this.
Reflective Writing An analytical practice where I describe real or imaginary events or thoughts and then add personal reflections on what these events mean to me. reflections might be:
- What did I notice?
- How has it changed me?
- What might I have done differently?
Reflective writing is not just descriptive. When I write regularly for pleasure I am more likely to reflect on my everyday life, think in an unconventional way and challenge accepted practices.
The main characteristics of reflective writing
- Reflection: I reflect on what I’m teaching and consider how my own experiences and points of veiw might influence why I teach in that way.
- Evidence: I consider different perspectives to comprehensively reflect on my teaching. Evidence can be my own reflections or academic evidence like pedagogic theories and policies or both.
- Clarity: I must be clear around differentiating my own thoughts and those of academic studies about theories and policies.
- Theory: I will study theories and other academic works to help explain my own reflections.
- Learning Outcomes: I will reflect on and write about what I have learned from the work I do, what I would do differently and how I have changed as a result of the reflections.
I think I am clearer on what reflective writing is and what the objectives of it are. I hope that if I can relate the theories policies and practices we are discussing on the course to myself and my everyday life they will become clearer to me and change me. I want to change and understand myself and my opinions and actions more clearly if reflective writing can be a part of that change I am happy to continue.