Reflective: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Every month I write something for the school newsletter. Every month a new attribute from the values and learner profile at Futuro Verde. Writing my newsletter article could easily become a habit. It would be easy to stick to a formula and churn out two hundred words or so about the attribute of the month. After 10 months my work would be done but would the tenth be any better or different to the first?
One can do the same thing over and over, but without a process of reflection there is no progress and improvement. ‘Practice makes perfect’ and ‘live and learn’ are common expressions, but only work if we build in a process of reflection. Sometimes that reflective process is a conscious process, but sometimes it happens without us knowing, almost instinctively. Asking ourselves questions is a valuable way to be reflective. Every month I ask myself if my past articles have been: Too long? Too short? Too complicated? Too basic? Too boring? Relevant to people’s lives and experiences? Thought provoking? I don’t always have answers to give myself. Sometimes we need to do more than just reflect on our own experience. We need feedback to understand our own strengths and weaknesses. I continue to question myself but also invite others to give constructive feedback and contribute to my development and my future articles.