Reflective Essay by using Gibbs Reflective Cycle
Shane hog
UsingpersonalReflection1.docx“Reflection involves looking back and analysing past events and experiences. This enables those experiences to be then placed within the context of what is happening in the present and what may happen in the future.” (Hooker, 2010:p25)
Developing your ability to reflect is an important skill in a way to increasing your self-awareness. Reflection is:
· An important source of continuous personal and professional improvement
· A way to learn from your own professional and personal experiences
· A way of bringing together things you learn and applying it practically in your work or personal life
To think reflectively you have to:
· Experience something
· Think about what happened
· Learn from your experience
Personal reflection can really drive you professional development and self-improvement by opening you to new ideas, solutions and different ways of working. It does require you to be very honest about yourself, time and commitment. Coaching can help to support you whilst enhancing your development journey.
Reflective Practice Processes
You might find the following reflective practice processes useful:
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· Thinking about what, why and how you do things · Thinking about what, why and how others do things · Asking "so what…..?" · Asking "what if….?" · What did I learn? How? How will this help me? · What worked well for me? Why? · What didn’t work so well? Why? · Have I achieved anything? What? If not why not? · How can I use new skills and knowledge to improve….? · Consider the reaction from others, ask them for their feedback |
· Seeking alternatives to your usual practice and trying something new / different · Asking for others' ideas and viewpoints · Comparing and contrasting · Be honest with yourself · Keeping an open mind · Identifying and resolving problems · Consider potential consequences · Consider the potential impacts. What would happen if I did…..? What could have happened if I tried…... instead? · Consider your practice from another person's / independent perspective how would I feel if….. |
An approach that you may want to try
Experience Something
Example: - I arrive at work to find another colleagues task on my desk to complete urgently as they have not done it and do not have the time today
Think about what happened
What did you experience/say or do?
How did you respond/behave?
What emotions and feelings did you have at the time?
How did others react? E.g. the person you spoke to
Example: - Anger, why me? Why do I need to complete this task just because someone else has been lazy?
Example: my colleague complained about me, they were upset and other staff joined in and made it worse
Example: frustration, anger, I feel let down by my colleague, taken advantage of
Example: I told the person to their face that they were lazy and I was not happy, I also vented to the whole team
So what
What will I do differently next time?
What do I need to change?
Example: - I will not vent to the group and will take the person to one side and have an adult to adult conversation. Or discuss with my line manager
Example: - I will stop and take a deep breath, thinking before I speak.
Example: - I won’t feel angry and taken advantage of; they will either do the job or ask me to help, talking about the best way to get it done.
How will I know I have changed and what have a noticed that is better, different or worse?
A model of reflective practice – Gibbs
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Description What happened? |
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Feelings What were you thinking and feeling at the time/ |
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Evaluation What was good and bad about this experience? |
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Analysis What sense can you make of the experience
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Conclusion What else could you have done? |
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Action plan What would you do different next time? What do you need to change to stop it happening again? |
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