Any tips on 'reflecting'?

Question

I have to reflect on activities and reflect on seminars for my university course - but i am not very good at it.

I can not seem to write what I felt in the counselling skills seminar or what the activity (in a different lecture) made me feel!

Can anyone give me some good advice or assistance with this or maybe some links to examples of good ones.

Thanks.

When I think about 'activity' I tend to think about it in terms of how useful the activity is in relation to other things eg assignments - but not emotions...my emotions tend to be mediocre - even then i cannot describe them.

I was told this wan't sufficient for a reflection exercise.

When I think about 'activity' I tend to think about it in terms of how useful the activity is in relation to other things eg assignments - but not emotions...my emotions tend to be mediocre - even then i cannot describe them.

I was told this wasn't sufficient for a reflection exercise.

Answer 1

"Reflecting" means introspection...

Answer 2

I sympathise with your problem as I'm not too keen on nazel gazing (as I just end up beating myself up)! However, I do have an enquiring mind and enjoy evaluating and analysing things, so when I did reflection as part of my PGCE course, I used to think about the following issues:

1. What did I like/think was good about my lesson/the lesson that I observed?

2. Why/why not?

3. What did I dislike/think could have been improved about my lesson/the lesson that I observed?

4. What would I do differently & why?

5. What have I learned from my lesson (from the good bits and mucked up bits)/the lesson that I observed?

6. What ideas will I use myself in the future?

In your case, subsitute the word 'lesson' for 'activities/seminars' . As a starting point, you could always start off your reflection by saying what you said above (it's still reflecting). i.e. I would say/write something like I don't know how I felt about this activity. Maybe because I didn't see the point of it etc

If you're still stuck for ideas, you could always nick ideas from questionnaires/surveys asking for people's feedback.

I hope that this answer helps!

Good luck with the rest of your course!

Answer 3

The Kolb experiental learning cycle is used for Social Workers when they have to complete reflective learning.

Very simplified, you firstly describe what has happen / who was involved; then what you personally thought about the situation - were the clients happy / were you scared, did you do the task well; thirdly what does academia tell you about similar situations, so bringing in theory, law, policy etc, and fourthly ( which also can make a good way to start a conclusion) what would you do differently now you have thought about the situation and read up on the topic.

This also gives a good essay structure.
hope this helps.

Answer 4

In addition to the other two good answers so far:
Try thinking about how you made links between components in your course and other topics, subjects, events in everyday life (perhaps in the local or national news), personal events etc.

You could work not just on thoughts but on feelings and emotions as well. Was there anything you felt passionate about? Anything you thought was unethical? Anything that made you laugh/cry? Anything that made you think/feel about aspects of your past in a particular way???

It gets easier as you practise. It will open your mind to numerous possibilities!

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

That is a difficult position you're in. Being someone who loves to write, I'm tempted to say 'just take a pen and start writing'. I really think you shouldn't put much thought into it. Write, even if it's just a word to describe how you feel.

Answer 6

Can you give your THOUGHTS about things?

Or is the assignment to give your feelings?

They don't expect you, I'm sure, to have enflamed passions over your seminars, or rages or other extreme emotions.

But I would have taken the instruction "reflect" to mean think about -- think back on, analyze, question, -- stuff like that.

Answer 7

First..I think about what I've learned by attending the seminar or performing a particular activity & then I break down the components of what I've learned to translate it to how I felt about it.

I hope this makes sense to you.

Answer 8

you can reflect on your childhood expierces good or bad.
or refect on your high school years.
Or reflect on your innerself by taking a good look at who you are and who you want to be.
Hope that helped.

Answer 9

Look in the mirror!

Answer 10

Hmmmm...let me sit quietly and think about this one....