Reflective writing tends to be something I encourage my learners to do but rarely do myself. Having said that, I do appreciate the importance of thinking about my own practice and the impact it has on my learners’ experiences - I probably overthink the effectiveness of what I do, what worked, what didn’t work, what I’ll do differently next time, and so on. I just need to get into the habit of actually writing it down!
I hadn’t come across the Gibbs model before, but it seems more comprehensive than other models I've seen, and I think the stages are more aligned to my own thought processes. Previously I’ve used Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, and Schön’s reflection in/on action model.
I haven’t written an assignment for several years so it’s fair to say I’m somewhat apprehensive about writing my TMAs, particularly at this level. I think using the Gibbs model - along with tutor feedback - will help me to identify any areas of writing that I need to improve, and understand how to make those improvements next time. I also think it’s important to identify any areas I’m quite good at, as this will help me to stay motivated - although this often seems harder to do!
- Matt