Reflective writing Workshop outline

They may be structured or

unstructured:

• Diary
• Log book
• Study or work journal
• Assignment

Example 1

Example 1

Example 2

Language for Reflective Writing

The benefits of reflection

• This situation allowed/enabled me to
• explore my approach to…
• reflect on my…
• Reflecting upon the incident…
• Reflection has provided me with the opportunity to…

Your knowledge and skills

• Considering the situation from different perspectives allowed me to/provided me with…
• This provided/equipped me with a new way of approaching…
• I have begun to
• recognise my strengths as well as my weaknesses
• recognise/identify my knowledge and skills
• build upon my…
• enhance my…
• I now feel more confident about
• integrating new ideas with present knowledge
• presenting my view/opinion
• articulating my feelings
• I can now
• appreciate the significance of my experience
• value my past experience

Your opinions, views and goals

• Articulating/revising/re-evaluating my opinions gave me the opportunity to
• examine/explore…
• enhance my practice/ability by…
• develop/work towards/re-evaluate my goals…
• function autonomously/as an individual…
• become an active/independent learner…
• plan realistic career/educational/personal goals

Professional development

• It led me to question…
• It helped me to
• gain a sense of ownership of my professional development
• extend/enhance/develop my professional knowledge
• develop/enhance my self-awareness/self-esteem
• increase my confidence…
• interact with/and gain insights from my peers/colleagues…

Exercise 1

• Moon (2006) suggests using free writing activities to get your ideas flowing. If you find it difficult to get started with reflective writing, try thinking of a topic and write continuously about it for five minutes. Suggestions for topics could include why you chose this course and how you think it will help you to develop in the future.

It is likely that once you begin writing, you will surprise yourself at how much you do.

• Spend five minutes free writing topics such as: Learning, Professional development, Health, Inter-professional work.

Exercise 2

• Make a list of three things which you have learned about yourself from the following:
• your course/ your job
• a particular experience, such as preparing an essay, giving a presentation etc.

Exercise 3

• Choose an incident or event on placement/at university/at work
• Get started by describing what happened. Then begin to try to reflect on the events following the stages in Gibbs’ model: Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action Plan
• Make notes for each stage

References

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. London: Further Education Unit.

Monash University (2013) Language and Learning Online: What is reflective Writing? Available at: http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/medicine/reflective/1.xml (accessed: 4 June 2013).

Moon, J. (2006) Learning Journals: a Handbook for Reflective Practice and Professional Development. Oxon: Routledge.

The learning Centre (2010) Reflective writing. Available at: http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/pdf/reflective.pdf (accessed: 4 June 2013).