Reflective practice takes many forms, from informal reflection before sleep to formal journaling. It can help organize actions, reduce stress, and improve decision-making. Ancient Hawaiians believed it was essential to a well-balanced life. Educators can use it to evaluate lessons and determine students’ learning styles. It can aid in personal and professional development.
Reflective practice can manifest itself in many forms. It can be an informal part of a person’s daily routine, or perhaps a required element of a job or class. In an informal type of reflective practice, an individual uses the moments just before sleep to remember the day’s events. This type of reflective practice can help a person decide what priorities should be for the next day. While reflecting on the conversation or other events, the individual may find that unpleasant emotions surface. Reflecting on these emotions can help address an underlying issue. In this way, reflective practice is a means of organizing actions and reducing the stress of daily life.
Ancient Hawaiians believed that navigating into the future was like walking backwards. Just as a person walking backwards has to judge his next step based on the experiences and environment he has come up with from his previous steps, so reflective practice relies on the past to navigate the future. This highlights the Hawaiian belief that reflective practice is essential to a well-balanced life. Looking back can help you make better choices in the future. This is at the heart of any form of reflective practice.
Journaling or diary writing is a form of reflective practice that can be formal or informal, depending on who will be reading the writings and how they will be used. Journal writing and diaries done simply for the pleasure of expressing emotions on paper, or to record the day’s events, are informal methods of this practice. This can be very therapeutic for those who enjoy writing.
Some individuals may practice writing more formal diaries as part of counseling or treatment. Formal journaling as a means of reflective practice usually involves a specific pattern. Writing can be analyzed to find patterns in behaviors and emotions, or to do some kind of cause-and-effect study of habits.
Professional educators can use various forms of reflective practice to evaluate the relative success or failure of lessons. This assessment can offer insight into what works and what doesn’t work in the classroom. It can also be useful in determining individual students’ preferred learning styles. This method is often considered a successful teaching strategy.
Reflective practice can provide an informed means for self-evaluation. It can help an individual avoid repeating mistakes. It can also assist some individuals in personal or professional development and growth.
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