Reflective Practice

Writing and Professional Development

I particularly liked the chapters relating to stories and metaphors. The author talks about the importance of stories in story form, a creative approach that really catches the imagination. The book is beautifully written and the vignettes are like stories in themselves. The Write to Learn exercises are a great way to consolidate knowledge and practice reflective writing skills.

Abraham Flexner a physician and educator at Princeton wrote in 1939 that “the conception of what is useful may not have become too narrow to be adequate to the roaming and capricious possibilities of the human spirit”. Whilst striving towards a collection of knowledge that is immediately useful and relevant, we overlook that deep learning, the kind that leads to the transfer of ideas, requires the pondering of information that seems irrelevant or useless.  Bolton’s work provides a toolkit for students and academics contemplate the opaqueness of knowledge, to spend time ‘letting go’ of certainties, and thus create a higher mental state for problem solving.

This ‘go-to’ book is an absolute must for everyone concerned with professional development. In this fifth edition, the writers have enhanced the examples and activities of reflective writing and questioning, leading the reader to deeper understandings of reflection and reflexivity. It is a wonderfully supportive book for all practitioners.

It's a book which is easy to dip into and take from it what you will This popular book has been used worldwide in various disciplines including education, social work, business and management, medicine and healthcare and is essential reading for students and professionals seeking to enhance their reflective writing skills and to examine their own practice in greater critical depth. It covers all the essential issues as well as including plenty of references to enhance the information.

Reflective Practice is a rich treasure trove of theories, case studies, references, online resources and exercises. While not all of it will be relevant or easy to implement, there is bound to be something that you can use to develop your own skills as a teacher, and also something that you try out with your colleagues. Sharing experiences or insights arising from writing a journal certainly sounds a lot more interesting to me than just discussing the school’s new homework policy!