DO I REALLY NEED TO BECOME A REFLECTIVE PRACTIONER?

To become a reflective practitioner, you must undertake reflective practice. Reflective practice is a continuous cycle of learning that allows individuals to analyse and question their practice, reflecting on their methodologies effectiveness and the impact their values have on understanding their given profession. (Melbourne Graduate School of Education, 2010). Mathew et al. (2017) notably distinguish how experience alone does not necessarily condition learning. Through constant and intentional reflection on experience as a means to continuously develop enables learning to take place. Mathew et al. contend that reflective practitioners must gather in-depth knowledge of the emotions, responses, actions and experiences, combined with their pre-existing schema, to achieve a higher understanding in order to grow and develop.

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As a school student, l I felt detached from the concept of reflection as it served no obvious importance to me. However, now as I begin my journey to become a teacher, I feel both preservice and current teachers must become reflective practitioners. Simply providing teachers with professional development days to reflect on their work is insufficient. Reflection is fundamental in "professional development" (Mathew et al., 2017, p.1) and needs to be continuous to ensure consistent learning and improvement, with the aim to better one's practice.

Reflective practice facilitates a far more comprehensive system in which feedback, improvements and goals are clearly articulated and created by the individual (Smyth, 1993). Benade (2015) notes how reflection enables one to constantly adapt and evolve with the ever-changing world, diminishing old habits and creating a refreshed outlook on one's practice. However, reflection requires commitment, energy and contradiction (Johns, 2009). The demand to commit to constant reflection may be hindered by a lack of organisation or a loss of motivation. Reflective practice centralises itself around looking at the positives and negatives of one's work. If individuals cannot convert their negative energy into positive energy, a sense of anxiety may arise, conflicting with the individuals' want to undertake reflective practice. Nonetheless, becoming a reflective practitioner is crucial to sustainable development and growth. 

To complete reflective practice in a concise and structured manner, models such as the 'Gibbs' Reflective Cycle' are used. It consists of 6 Phases: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action Plan (Gibbs', 1998). The first 3 phases (Description, Feelings and Evaluation) focusses directly on the experience the individual or group is reflecting on. The final 3 phases (Analysis, Conclusion and Action Plan) use the specific experience to develop goals and improvements to modify their practice to progress continuously. The Gibbs' reflective cycle may help combat organisational issues, fostering a more engaging structure to create heightened motivation levels, reducing the limitations.

To conclude, becoming a reflective practitioner is invaluable. It combats creating a stagnant workplace that lacks change and advancement and instead promotes self-sufficient individuals. Reflective practice allows educators to assess and question their methodologies and, in turn, create strategies to enhance the quality of their work. Consistent reflection results in constant improvements, which benefits both the educator and the students engaged in their classes.

As a future teacher, it will be my responsibility to stay in tune with my work and adapt and change with the world. It is the only way to move forward, rather than being stuck in the past. To do so, I believe becoming a reflective practitioner is the most beneficial way. 

References:

Benade, L. (2015). Teacher's Critical Reflective Practise in the Context of Twenty-first Century Learning. Open Review of Education Research, 2(1), 42-54. Retrieved from https://www,tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23265507.2014.998159?scroll=top&needAccess=true

CIPD. (2017). Introduction to Reflective Practise [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hyWVEG2x0.

Gibbs, G. (1998). Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Oxford Further Education Unit. 

Johns, C. (2009). Becoming a Reflective Practitioner. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=uvNiZvYpsu4C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=disadvantages+of+a+reflective+practitioner&ots=5Ex1hQzegI&sig=b01xtkFxf4ukBBjF6nEDgKbhkFs#v=onepage&q=disadvantages%20of%20a%20reflective%20practitioner&f=false

Mathew, P., Mathew, P., & Peechattu, P.J. (2017). Reflective practises A means to teacher development. Asia Pacific Journal of Contemporary Education and Communication Technology, 3(1), 126-131 Retrieved from https://apiar.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/13_APJCECT_Feb_BRR798_EDU-126-131.pdf

Melbourne Graduate School of Education. (2010). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework: Evidence Paper. Principle 8: Reflective Practise. Marbina, L., Church, A., Tayler, C. (Eds). Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) Retrieved from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhoood/providers/edcare/evirefprac.pdf

Smyth, J. (1993). Reflective Practise in Teacher Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 18(1), 2. Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1223&context=ajte