What is reflection? You reflect when you give ‘serious thought’ to a situation you have experienced.
Why reflect? Reflection helps you avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. It gives you an opportunity to think deeply about a specific subject/issue and to investigate it, so that next time you encounter the same situation you can be ‘better’ in what you do.
What does reflection involve? Questioning – investigating – action planning. Looking at events through the eyes of others.
Is there a structure to reflection? Various models can be used to help you structure and clarify your ideas. Popular ones are the Driscoll Reflective Model (2010) or Gibbs (1988) but there are many others. The choice of model depends of the type of reflection (e.g. action orientated, process driven or personal feelings).
How does it support my development? Reflection should lead to action planning. What have you learnt from your investigation? How can you improve your performance in a similar situation next time?
