Reflective Practice Workshop

Editor's Notes

• #2: Health and safety announcements
• #3: Everyone will get access to the slides
• #4: Agree ground rules with participants Group introductions – who we are and why are we here?
• #5: Topics for today
• #6: Handout page 2 – what does reflective practice mean for you? No correct answers – it can be a personal response Feedback to the group FLIPCHART
• #7: Wikipedia definition = one possible definition of reflective practice Essentially taking an experience and learning from it so we can do it better next time and then putting this learning into action Comes from the health and education professions but growing importance in information profession
• #8: Imagine you have come home at the end of a rubbish week and find that you have access to a time machine You can go back to the start of the week and do anything you like differently – what would you change, why and how? This is reflection You are trying to improve things by thinking them through and using this to change outcomes Putting this into practice = reflective practice
• #9: Helps with the issue of ‘self-talk’ – that little voice in your heard reminding you of all the things that you could have done differently Shows what went wrong/right – can help you to find areas that you need to improve but can also highlight things you’re doing well and should keep doing Aids creativity and avoid stagnation – thinking about what you are doing and why you are doing it that way can help you avoid getting stuck in a rut. You can learn from others about different ways to do things and try new approaches Overcomes assumptions – all of us make assumptions about people and situations as part of human nature. Taking a step back through reflection can help us to challenge some of these assumptions and see things from a new perspective Key part of emotional intelligence – the ability to understand and remain in control of your emotions in certain situations which can help you to understand certain situations Helps maintain work/life balance – reflection offers a defined process of thinking things through which hopefully means they don’t go round in your head resulting in the ability to leave work at work
• #10: Is it better to reflect on positive or negative experiences (or both)? = common question ASK THE AUDIENCE: Who focuses more on positive experiences? Who focuses more on negative experiences?
• #11: There are pros and cons to each approach Focusing on positive experiences can be very motivating as it makes you feel that you’re doing something right, it can show you things that are going well so you can replicate them in the future – how did you achieve this and how can it be replicated with other projects? But it can also mean that you can overlook problems and only focus on the things that work Negative experiences are easier to learn from – if something went wrong then don’t do it again. It’s always easy to identify areas for improvement in things that went wrong and you can improve on these. But focusing too much on what went wrong can be demotivating and cause a lot of negativity which does more harm than good
• #12: You probably practice more reflection in your everyday life than you realise. Handout page 3 – chat with your neighbours and list all of the different ways and places you might reflect during a typical day Feedback and record on flipchart Most of these activities can be divided into individual and group activities
• #13: Individual – reflection that is either personal to you or shared only with close friends. These are the suggestions I came up with. Most of these reflections use the internal voice. Debated whether to include staff review on this list but it is a personal document that you then discuss with one person. It takes quite a lot of insight to get a lot out of this type of reflection but it comes with practice
• #14: Group – these are reflections shared with larger groups like your work team. My suggestions are on the screen. You might share reflections on how things have gone during events at regular meetings or away days, you may have a formal method of reflection (OSC PRESENTER REFLECTION DOCUMENT), there are also guided reflections and journal clubs which offer something concrete to discuss to get the reflections going Group reflections are useful as a way to explore multiple perspectives and get different viewpoints. It aids creativity and helps us to question our assumptions
• #15: Want to explore group reflections in more detail. There are different types of groups: Peer support groups: informal rather than led by a single person. Group members offer advice and insights without offering solutions Action learning sets: focus on solving a particular problem. The problem is outlined by one member and then other members ask questions to draw out a solution. Actions are then planned as a result Guided reflection groups: small groups who meet regularly and are guided by a mentor. Each member brings along at least two experiences they have reflected on – one positive and one negative. These groups often have discussions related to relevant theory Team reflections – undertaking reflections in a specific team (usually a work team). Over time this can build into a really useful method of reflection
• #16: Facilitating group reflection well is a challenge but there are some things you can do to make it easier: Set group rules – as we did at the start of the session. This helps everyone know what to expect and should be mutually agreed Make sure everyone gets a chance to speak – there will always be one person who will dominate the conversation but a good facilitator will work to control them and make sure that everyone gets a chance to say what they want to say Resist the temptation to offer solutions – a facilitator is there to facilitate the discussion but not to solve everyone’s problems for them. The advantage of group reflection is that is allows for a variety of viewpoints to be shared, not just the facilitator’s The most important thing you can do is listen – this will encourage others to talk and help you to learn about different viewpoints as well
• #17: This exercise will help you to develop your listening skills Handout page 4 – listening exercise Sit back to back and choose Person A and Person B – Person A will describe the diagram and Person B will draw it. You have three minutes to draw the diagram from the description given and Person B can’t ask questions. After three minutes swap and Person B describes whilst Person A draws FEEDBACK FROM THE GROUP: was that easier than you thought, harder? Was it easier to listen or to describe?
• #18: It’s important to try and build reflection into your day as a philosophy rather than as a set of activities to complete Most people will find that they already practice some of the reflective activities we’ve already looked at so it’s a question of building on these It’s important if you can to create an open and supportive team environment where people feel encouraged to reflect and supported to act on the results (easier said than done). Can try a ‘bottom up’ rather than a ‘top down’ approach to building this. Can be through an open door policy informal chats or a more formal method of reflection – it may take time! Try to evaluate your experiences and ask for external input when needed. If you get into the habit of recording some sort of reflection then you can build on this e.g. feedback forms after this workshop for me to reflect on
• #19: We use reflection all the time in libraries but we don’t give it a label Reflective practice has a background in medicine and teaching but it is becoming increasingly important in the information profession Several ways we use it: Service improvements – looking at why things are working and why they’re not working is something we do every day. This is how we improve the services we offer and create/adapt new ones Personal improvements – might be in a job application or interview situation, as part of an appraisal or review or just for our own professional development CILIP qualifications – reflection is a major component of these Academic qualifications – library (or other topic) qualifications often require some sort of reflection on your current practice and how this relates to theory Scholarly communication – reflection is the first step towards solving a problem and this can lead to research and sharing the outcomes of this with the wider profession
• #20: Reflective practice in librarianship is part of evidence based practice = when you make decisions based on the research and other evidence that you can gather Term that originated in medicine as a way to apply research findings to critical decision making Starts with an area where there is some sort of problem or librarians are looking to improve their practice  existing research is gathered to address this problem or support a possible solution  the evidence is critically appraised to check whether it is valid and reliable  the valid research is then applied to the problem  final step is to evaluate the process and determine if there has been any impact and if there is room for improvement  this may lead to new problems being discovered and so the process goes on Librarians are very good at the gathering and critical appraisal parts of this cycle but need to do more to create evidence – fill the gap by acting as practitioner researchers Obviously for this process to take place there has to be existing research to gather and build upon and that’s where workplace research comes in Can help you make informed decisions based on solid results rather than just relying on a gut feeling Can also help to improve the culture of the organisation as it moves towards making decisions based on evidence
• #21: This leads us nicely on to the next section where we look at various models of reflective practice This is a workshop in itself so I’ve picked the models that I think are the most useful These models are all shown in your handouts (pages 5-8)
• #22: This is probably the most simple model of reflective practice You start with an experience, you reflect on it and then you take some action as a result of this reflection e.g. change the thing that wasn’t working
• #23: This model takes things a step further: Concrete Experience - (a new experience of situation is encountered, or a reinterpretation of existing experience) Reflective Observation (of the new experience. Of particular importance are any inconsistencies between experience and understanding) Abstract Conceptualization (Reflection gives rise to a new idea, or a modification of an existing abstract concept) Active Experimentation (the learner applies them to the world around them to see what results)
• #24: Again, this model builds on the previous models and adds more steps: Description – what happened? Feelings – what were you thinking and feeling? Evaluation – what was good and bad about the experience? Analysis – what sense can you make our of the situation? Conclusion – what else could you have done? Action plan – if is arose again, what would you do? ASK THE AUDIENCE: Are there any particular models which stand out for people or that they are drawn to?
• #25: Reflective practice models are useful for a number of reasons: They give you a structure to follow which people often find helpful (particularly when new to reflection) They offer a place to start which takes some of the pressure off Shows all of the different levels of a situation which helps to ensure you don’t miss anything out Gives you a target to aim for – when the reflection process on one part is complete you can start again on another piece of reflection
• #26: There are also some reasons to be cautious about reflective practice (or any other) models: Models are often cycles which imply that the steps have to be followed in a certain way which may not be the case All models offer a starting point but it might be that you need to start at a different place in the cycle Some models set unrealistic expectations of a something that can be followed in every situation whereas there may be different models for different real world scenarios Reflective practice is a continuous process but models imply that reflection has a defined ending point which can be misleading ASK THE AUDIENCE: Can they think of any more pros and cons? List on handout page 9
• #27: Quick look at some of the common barriers to being a reflective practitioner
• #28: ASK THE AUDIENCE: Handout page 10 – discuss with neighbours and list some barriers to reflective practice Feedback onto flipchart These are some of the main barriers I could think of: Lack of time – it’s one more thing to cram into a busy job Organisational culture – a lack of support from management who don’t see reflective practice as a valuable activity Lack of skill – no knowing where to start or how to reflect Environment – actually finding a place where you can get into that reflective headspace Motivation – lack of support and time can take a toll. It can be hard to motivate yourself to do this with no apparent reward Yourself – probably the biggest barrier and the hardest to overcome. Good reflection takes a certain level of self-insight which can be uncomfortable for a lot of people
• #29: Some tips on how to overcome some of the commons barriers to reflection: Time is probably the biggest barrier most people will face. Try to make reflection a habit, set aside regular time to reflect. Turning off your emails can help to avoid distractions – people can wait for fifteen minutes for a reply or they would have called you. IDoneThis. Block off regular time in the diary Find a critical friend to offer you another point of view. You can meet them for coffee or lunch. Having a friend to talk to might make things a bit easier than reflecting with a stranger or on your own Remember that there is no one right way of reflecting – do whatever works for you and don’t be afraid to try different things
• #30: Feedback is something we all deal with every day – whether it’s wanted or not Important form of self-reflection and source of ideas
• #31: Feedback is any information you get about yourself during the course of a day We receive feedback from multiple people every day and it can be both formal feedback such as a manager over a recent project or informal feedback such as someone complimenting you on your haircut The important thing about feedback is that it enables us to see ourselves from a different point of view which can help us to reflect 360ិ feedback involves collecting feedback from all around to give you a complete picture – collect it from attendees, supervisors and peers at an event
• #32: Giving feedback is one way of reflecting on the performance of others which can help to It’s important to be confident in what you’re saying if you want to give good feedback Think about the tone you use and the body language you display when giving feedback and make sure this doesn’t contradict your words Not always appropriate but try to be positive rather than overly critical (depending on the situation) Always be specific on what you are giving the person feedback on or you risk your message getting lost Give the other person a chance to respond to your feedback, whether it is positive or negative
• #33: Feedback can be a difficult thing to receive so here are some tips to help you step back receive it constructively Think about the person who is offering you feedback: Is this a person whose opinions you respect? This will influence how you take the feedback and you are more likely to take notice of the information if you actually respect the person Do they practice what they preach? It’s really hard to take feedback from someone who does the opposite of what they are advising you to do Do they have an agenda you need to know about? Are they trying to flatter you into agreeing to something? Are they trying to put you off something? Are they open to feedback themselves? Can they dish it out but not take it? Regardless of how you feel about the person listen to what they are saying rather than how they are saying it. They may still have a valuable point and this can be great for reflection
• #34: There are three main triggers which can cause us to get defensive with feedback. Having an awareness of these can help you to take a step back and actually listen to the message: Truth triggers – set off by the substance of the feedback itself and makes us think it’s unhelpful or untrue Relationship triggers – set off by the person giving the feedback Identity triggers – something about the feedback hits a personal nerve and causes us to question what we think about ourselves
• #35: This could be an entire workshop on its own – this will only be a brief introduction
• #36: Reflective writing is one of the most popular methods of reflective practice and can be done either solo or in a group. The actual act of writing something down helps us to filter the information we receive It’s about measuring the effectiveness of what you’ve done rather than just talking about what you did In reflective writing you are constantly questioning yourself and then answering these questions It’s about showing what you have learnt and how you have put this into practice – you’ve been to this course and learnt how to do something but what are you going to do with this knowledge? Crucial to remember that it’s not just about description but about asking those difficult questions
• #37: Outline of what reflective writing is and isn’t (listed on handout page 11)
• #38: Discuss with neighbour. Think about some areas in the workplace where you might use reflective writing – handout page 11
• #39: Example of how to take experiences and transform them into reflections The first sentence tells us what you did but doesn’t include any reflection The second paragraph tells us what happened, why it was important, how it helped the writer to develop and what their next steps are going to be
• #40: Simplest model to follow for reflective writing and the one used in the previous paragraph Use the three questions to prompt you into reflective writing With a bit more explanation – what, so what, now what?
• #41: What? – describe the situation: achievements, consequences, responses, feelings and problems So what? – discuss what has been learnt: learning about self, relationships, models, attitudes, cultures, actions, thoughts, understanding and improvements Now what? – identify what needs to be done in order to improve future outcomes and develop learning
• #42: Handout page 13 – chance to put this model into practice in pairs Person A needs to describe an activity and Person B needs to ask the three what questions. After two minutes then switch so that Person B is describing the activity
• #43: One barrier in particular to reflective writing – the fear of a blank piece of paper or computer screen can make it hard to actually get started Free writing can help with this – take a prompt and just write for five, ten minutes. Don’t worry about sentence structure, grammar or spelling – just write. See how much of the page you can fill. You can always come back and distil it into something better later
• #44: Choice of two exercises: HANDOUT PAGE 14 Take a picture and use this as a prompt to start free writing. Doesn’t matter what you write – just write something for five minutes continuously. Don’t worry about sentence structure, grammar or spelling. No one will see this but you. Just an exercise to get something down on paper. You will be surprised at how much flows when you stop worrying so much. What are the people thinking and feeling? HANDOUT PAGE 17 Think about one specific event or activity that you feel you could learn from – it doesn’t matter if went wrong or right. Use the prompts on the sheet to write to write a short reflective piece on the activity. Again, don’t worry about sentence structure, grammar or spelling, just write something for yourself GROUP DISCUSSION: Do activity and then compare experiences in group discussion
• #45: Congratulations – you have just completed some reflective writing!
• #47: Think of reflection as a time investment not a time drain – try to make regular time Reflection doesn’t have to just be about the big things – you can reflect on anything that happens during your day Choose a method that works for you – if writing is hard then use something else