Sunday, 10 August 2008
Reflective Practice
Time flies! I did say in my last Blog that it would soon be Christmas again and by jove here we are - half way through the year already! I really must keep on top of this blogging thing - but as I get older the days seem to get shorter - well that's my excuse!
Actually, I have been ‘blogging’ away but on a different website in a different capacity. I am a member of the Institute for Learning - a membership body for teachers, trainers and tutors within Further Education. Part of my eligibility for membership involves demonstrating my continued professional development (CPD) and suitable evidence for this includes keeping a log of the training I deliver and any training I attend/participate in. I need to record certain things including what I have learn't from running the training session/areas for improvement etc or if attending and participating in a training course - how I will use this learning, further training needs etc. This is classed as 'Reflective Practice' and in my opinion reflective practice is good practice. It enables us to identify areas for improvement and consideration as well as acknowledging and celebrating the positives of what we have done well or learn't.
I first used reflective writing when I was training in counselling. This involved keeping a reflective log throughout the courses I attended. Being a visual person I designed mine as a 'can of worms' - the front of the folder was designed like a baked bean can with long wriggly works coming out of the top. When I look back at it I could cry buckets as I reflect on and remember my journey of self discovery. The diary was supplemented with lots of cartoon drawings which represented things in my life at that time. My husband Ken and I still laugh at the drawing I did of him when I represented him as a cartoon pair of 'comfy old slippers' - he didn't know whether to be complimented or offended! It was meant as a big compliment actually!
A short time later I also had to provide evidence of reflective practice whilst studying for my PGCE in teaching. Due to the level of the course I was expected to produce a higher level of 'reflective' evidence - I'm not sure if my 'reflections' were as academic as my student colleagues but I did get a lot from the process and my 'waffle' resulted in my tutor saying she was convinced I would write a book one day! Hey ho - there could be another Harry Potter novel on the horizon but somehow if anything I think it would be 'An idiots guide to .......' and given some recent experiences that could be something to do with IT and computers which is a totally different kettle of fish to this blog and a different story altogether so watch out for that blog and just like a fishermans story - it will be a 'big one'!
The reason I am 'blogging' on about reflective practice is because I do think it is something we should all be doing as professional practitioners. In addition to reflecting on my teaching practice as a trainer I also regularly reflect on my work as a therapist. I mentioned in my last blog the issue of becoming isolated as a private practitioner having left the nest of training. You may lose touch with your tutors and peers and often feel you no longer have someone to bounce thoughts or ideas off or to provide you with advice and support. As you know through the Northern College of Therapeutic Hypnosis - we are working towards addressing this issue through providing ex-students with a newsletter and opportunities to network through attending 'intensive' courses, our website, our e-learning site and our new social networking site. In addition to 'blogging' being used for our own private purposes - like a secret diary and for CPD evidence e.g for professional bodies, it can be used as a mechanism to share our thoughts and reflect on our practice with others - i.e. acknowledging and flagging up the things we may have found difficult or could have done better and celebrating and sharing the things we did well and the things that worked. As well as the 'blogger' learning from going through the process of their 'reflections' as they record them - if shared - others can learn too and they may then contribute their thoughts, ideas, advice and support to your blog. This then becomes another way to network and address the issue of feeling alone out there.
To find out more about blogging: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
To start up your own blog/s: www.blogger.com
Well thats all for now folks. Take care and enjoy what's left of the summer! Don’t forget your brolley!
Until next time.
# posted by Christine Blessing - Course Director, NCTH @ 04:01 
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
