reflecting on reflection
As a graduate student, I was videotaped each week while I co-facilitated an inclusive parent-child play group. Afterward, I was tasked with watching the videotape and then meeting with my supervisor to discuss predetermined criteria I was working to develop and enhance. I admit, at first, this practice felt intimidating. I was nervous about having someone else observe my actions knowing they were looking for areas for me to improve upon. The first few reflective supervision sessions were humbling as I had to become comfortable with being candid, constructively critical, and open to feedback. However, after repeating this practice for several weeks I became more comfortable and trusting with the process of reflection. In addition, this practice improved my self-reflection skills, teaching me to reflect in several different ways. In retrospect, I am grateful for this experience, as it taught me the value of reflection for growth as well as how to become more self-aware, and ultimately, how to reflect-on-action, in-action, and for-action.
Reflection-on-Action, Reflection-in-Action, and Reflection-for-Action
First, I learned to reflect by recalling past events—in most cases, I watched the videotape of myself facilitating the play group and in others, I simply “replayed” or recalled the play group back in my head for analysis and critique. Second, I learned to reflect in the moment. While I was facilitating the play group I was simultaneously reflecting and then adapting what I had planned to do based the actions of the children and families. In addition, during the times I was being videotaped, knowing I was being videotaped “fast-forwarded” my ability to reflect on what I was doing while I was doing it since I was thinking about what I would later be critiqued on. And third, I learned to reflect about what was to come—when I was planning a play group I was reflecting on that upcoming session, anticipating what might occur, taking all that I had learned into consideration, and determining a plan of action. The ability to reflect is critical to adapting, problem-solving, continuous improvement, changing mindsets, understanding perspective, self-sufficiency, and so much more. I reflect every day and the reflection skills I learned years ago have proved valuable throughout my career.
Donald Schön, an American philosopher, termed the processes of reflecting on past actions and reflecting in the moment as reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action, respectively. This concept was later expanded to include reflection-for-action. As you will see, there is a time for each method of reflection, and each method leads to becoming a more independent critical thinker and problem-solver.
The following table provides more detail about the distinctions between the three types of reflection and questions to ask yourself for each type.
Reflection Strategies
Regardless of which type(s) of reflection you choose to use, you will want to approach your reflection with the intent to analyze, learn, and improve. If you can be specific about what you want to practice and then reflect on that, it will help you to focus your observations and thoughts. Get in the mindset of using reflection for growth. Some ways to support reflection include:
setting aside regularly scheduled, uninterrupted time for individual reflection;
asking someone to observe an event and provide feedback and reflective guidance;
meeting regularly with a thought partner or supervisor to reflect on your practice;
videotaping yourself and watching the experience from a new perspective while asking yourself questions to help in analysis;
observing someone else and reflecting on what you saw;
reviewing documents used from previously implemented plans (e.g., lesson plans, play group outline) and taking notes on what worked well and what you would change in the future;
determining what you need in place in order to reflect in the moment (e.g., notes on a clipboard, a notification on your phone); and
journaling your thoughts before or after an event.
Remember, reflection-on, -in, and -for-action are designed to help you learn from the past, adapt in the present, and prepare for the future.
Interested in learning more? Do you work with a group of directors who could benefit from training on this topic? Reflection-on-action, -in-action, and -for-action are discussed further in the Director’s Toolbox Trainings: From the Inside Out, Inspiring Peak Performance, and the PAS-3 Training: Helping Staff Grow or Encouraging Them to Go. Find out more about these and other trainings at bellamattinaconsulting.com.
Bella, J.M. (2023). Reflecting on Reflection. bella mattina. May be printed, duplicated, and distributed freely with attribution. Permission for the inclusion in publications must be obtained in writing from the author.