Question

How would you reflect on and discuss your everyday practices with supervisor and other staff?

Answer 1

1) ans) Reflective practice can be undertaken individually or with a group or team and can be practised in the moment or it can happen later by taking the time to think about an event or some aspect of practice. Educators can reflect with colleagues, children, families and other professionals.

Reflective practice means:

thinking deeply about an interest, issue, event, or practice from different perspectives

being honest about all aspects of practice including elements that are positive and those that are of concern

monitoring pedagogy and curriculum as part of a cycle of continuous improvement

listening to and learning from others

engaging in an ongoing process and not a ‘one-off’ activity.

It allows you to recognize your own strengths and weakness, and use this to guide on-going learning. By reflection you will develop your skills in self-directed learning, improve motivation, and improve the quality of care you are able to provide

Reflective practice is learning from everyday situations and issues and concerns that arise which form part of our daily routine while working in an early childhood setting. It’s about reflecting not only about what happened but why. It also guides our decision making. It forces us to analyse different aspects of experiences we offer to make judgements in what should be repeated, extended or changed. This enables us to develop and extend on children’s learning and build upon their knowledge and skills.

This examples shows how educators used the process of reflection to:

Discuss and think deeply about a concern

Respected families ideas and contributions

Implemented a series of actions

Made a difference for children, their families overall wellbeing

Improved understanding of refugee families

Encouraged an inclusive environment within the centre

Example:

reflective educator would be ‘on alert’ or aware if a toddler in the group who usually separates readily from his mum found it very difficult one morning. While the separation difficulty might be a ‘one-off’ behaviour, it is something worth noticing, reflecting on and discussing with others including the child’s mum.

Reflecting with mum on why the child found the separation difficult that particular morning might reveal that they had a very late night because of a family celebration, or that the child’s dad has gone interstate on business. If the child’s separation difficulties were due to the father’s absence, the educators could use a photo of the child’s dad to reassure the toddler that dad is away but will be coming home soon. Providing close physical contact and using comforting, reassuring words each morning would also help to reduce the child’s anxiousness about his dad’s absence.

Sometimes parents and educators might be unsure about the reason for a child’s particular behaviour or response. The action in that instance would be to continue to be alert and to reflect on what is happening in order to understand the issue more clearly.

Reflective practice supports ongoing professional learning and development by building on educators’ strengths and skills, and providing deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in their roles and responsibilities. Educators who enact a commitment to reflective practice and taking action make a positive difference to the quality of the education experience and to improving outcomes for children and families.