Reflection is taking action in order to improve something such as your spelling, for example. Reflecting on the past (what went wrong, right..?) enables us to self evaluate our own performance then we can take action and decide- what will I do different next time? Reflection is a huge part of learning and developing. In my opinion, we do it all the time without even realising, sometimes more than others but it’s a part of how you grow as a person. For example, you learn from everyday mistakes by reflecting about what went wrong last time and knowing not to do it again. Effective reflection involves breaking down the situation and being able to analyse different sections in order to get to the bottom of it and learn for the next time.

I think reflection should play a bigger role in todays teaching system. If children are to become successful self-learners then reflection is key. It’s very important to be able to reflect on your own learning as this enables a whole world of opportunities in terms of development. Additionally, if it’s part of their day-to-day lives from a young age then it’ll be second nature in no time and stay with them their whole life.

An example of my own personal reflection was studying for exams. The first time round I was trying to establish effective study method and how I learnt best. Therefore, by the next year I was able to study effectively as I knew what would work best and what wouldn’t. Through trial and error, reflecting after exams and then again after I had my results I was able to take action.

I would encourage reflection throughout my career as I believe it is an essential part to any learning, no matter what the subject or situation. It’s also a vital life skill that can enable you to grow your own personality, learning from mistakes as you go. In terms of developing as a whole person, reflection is a key part.