Writing a regular Reflective Journal (a private document only for you)
We strongly recommend that you keep a regular Reflective Journal as it will help you to consolidate and deepen your learning. This can be a combination of writing, audio and visual, whatever works best for you. Your Reflective Journal will also help you to direct your learning according to your own specific needs, and to plan your own future learning activities.
Engaging regularly in this ongoing critical reflection will enable you to provide evidence of meeting UK PSF Activity 6; Core knowledge 5; and Professional Value 5.
You can either write freely, using any experience from the week or you can note incidents, thoughts, flashes of inspiration etc.. as they occur or as soon after as is possible. Sometimes a few choice words such as “rubbish session until x happened. Why?” or a quick sketch with a few key words can be a sufficient prompt for later deeper critical reflection. Be honest with yourself, this is a personal and confidential document. It can also be in the form of an audio or visual diary.
In your Reflective Journal you might like to consider and address some of these questions as you progress through the programme:
* What does it mean to be a Critical Reflective Practitioner in your discipline area?
* What is the difference between critical reflection and ‘just thinking about things’?
* Did you experience any uncomfortable moments in your learning?
* How are you feeling now?
* Was all the learning relevant to your needs?
* If you could change anything about your learning experience, what would it be?
* How might you begin to DO that?
* Do you feel there are any gaps in your understanding and can you remedy that?
* What do you need to do now? (Action Plan?)
