“Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous.” -Confucius
I believe reflection is one of the most powerful tools for growth. I’ve always loved the concept of reflection, however, I’ve never really come up with a plan in order to hold myself for reflecting and growing. In our EDUC 491 class, we were to come up with a #oneword2020. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to focus on reflection and hold myself accountable. Here is my journey of how I came to focus on reflection as my #oneword2020:
My #oneword2020 is reflection. After reflecting upon my practicum experience for 490, I had to sit back for a second just to appreciate the power of reflection. I contemplated making my word adaptability, which was the main theme of my practicum reflection, however, I wanted to look at the bigger picture. Yes, adaptability is something I need to grow in, but I most likely would’ve brushed this need for growth to the side, or even worse, not recognized this need for growth had I not taken some time to truly reflect and write down my thoughts. Hence, I have chosen “reflection” as my word.
MEANINGFUL reflection is an important part of my word. I find it easy to reflect on something in a moment yet forget about it long-term. For example, you can talk about an experience, lesson, etc. with somebody and talk about how great/awful it was, but the question is, what are you doing with that information? It is so easy to forget about that reflection if you are not documenting and revisiting it. In order to make my reflections meaningful, I want to document my reflections and revisit them. I believe this will hold me accountable to my reflections to see if I am using my reflections to better my practice. I’ll know I have achieved my one word by the end of this practicum if I have successful documentations of my reflections for EDUC 491. Once I get into the swing of practicum, I hope to set a realistic goal for documenting reflections (i.e. 1 reflection a day, 2 lessons a day, etc.).
In focusing on reflection as my word for 2020, I will be contributing to my growth as a teacher. I hope to recognize my strengths and use them to the best of my ability. I also hope to recognize my weaknesses and rather than accept them, treat them as areas for growth. I hope to never settle, and always strive to be better.
In order to be successful with my reflection, I need to be held accountable. My plan is to hold myself accountable by making reflection a routine. To do this, I will set an alarm in my phone as a reminder to take the time to reflect. I reflect best in the early morning/late night, so I will set an alarm for a consistent time where I know I will stay focused. In addition to my own accountability, I have a great support network who will help remind me of my goal and stay on track. I’m looking forward to using my #oneword2020 to guide me through growth during this practicum!
On this page, I will document my progress in reflection. I hope to include photos of my journal entries and progress updates!