Valuing Reflection

The week 10 learning path brought the importance of reflection into focus, particularly in regard to assignment 3. This ultimately lead me to doing some research. This web page introduced me to the book ‘learning and leading with habits of mind’ and focuses on chapter 12 ‘learning through reflection’. Given that a large portion of assignment 3 requires us to reflect on our professional experience this semester, I felt this was highly relevant. In reference to this, a quote on this web page that I felt to be meaningful was ‘A defining condition of being human is that we have to understand the meaning of our experience’ – Jack Mezirow. But valuing the concept of reflection extends further than just making sure we reflect in assignment 3, it is also essential to promote the practice of reflection in our classrooms. The same web page emphasised that educators who promote/encourage reflective classrooms ensure that students are fully engaged in the process of making meaning. They ultimately plan instruction so that students are the producers, not just the consumers, of knowledge.