Task 2a - Reflective Practice

After taking on the ROL module last term, looking back and reflecting on what i had learnt over my career so far was key and i found it incredible to compare myself to when i started out to what i do now. 'Experience' was something i kept referring too as that was the key theme, learning day to day through various different methods. I had learnt through my experience. Therefore reflecting was not something i was completely new too - however i had been reflecting on what had previously happened - my previous learning experiences and thoughts. Keeping the journal is reflecting on what is happening right now, and reflecting on the learning that continues.

 I have never kept a journal before and i am finding it difficult to 'remember' to write in it! I have found that it is on days where something out of the ordinary to my normal working day has happened that i remember to write, as i am still deep in thought about it when i get home/get into bed, or find myself discussing it with my husband/colleagues to get their points of view. I have always 'puzzled' my way through my thoughts when driving home from work or on a run. This has always been my main way of 'reflecting' by discussing with others and getting their perspective, or getting lost in my own thought. Writing it down has been interesting as a new form of looking back on my day - especially when reading back several days later and realizing how strongly i must have felt about it that day and how i feel about the situation after taking a little time to think about it. I have found that emptying my head onto paper a good way to vent out any stress and leads me to think about other questions, writing down how i could solve the issue and what i would do if it happened again - much like Gibbs reflective cycle:

I am hoping that keeping this journal will become easier to do each day, and i will continue to develop the different ways in how to write my journal and record events. I will be beginning this as i start task 2b - journal writing experience.