Now I see my reflection...

...is a bit rubbish!

1. I have just marked 90 level 5 portfolios which included weekly reflection and an final 500 word reflection. I noticed that frequently they were unstructured, uncritical and ... unreflective. Often didn't deal with thoughts or feelings, usually no actions arising.
2. We had a PGCTHE session yesterday and Rachel Fitzgerald was talking about becoming a reflective practitioner.

The net result is that I realise this blog has moments of reflection, but most of the time is like a journal. I can see that it has value - some times I am introspective. It has the benefit, now that I've been doing it over 6 months, of giving me something of a longitudinal view which I would not have had if I had not started it. However, it falls short it terms of a true reflective blog.

I notice that I tend to blog about things that go well, or interest me. In the last few months I have had fewer 'critical incidents'. This in itself concerns me - as my confidence increases, I must not grow complacent. I will make an effort to seek out and document difficulties as well as successes.

I also make no reference to educational theory... because I don't know it. This needs to change. I have devised a reading schedule.

So am I going to change my blog? Well... I have decided that the main (only) beneficiary of this blog is me. I will not do it unless I enjoy it. But to extract maximum value I need to be a reflective practitioner.... so in summary... yes but only a little bit.