Reflective Journal - Some tips

Reflective Journal:

A student-teacher generated locally standardized daily log book maintained under the supervision of the mentors is visualized as a Reflective Journal (RJ). The RJ can act as a document that carries an analytical account of the daily experiences of Student-Teachers during practice-Teaching. The major purpose of the Reflective Journal is Reflection on-Action. During Practice-Teaching the RJ depicts how different aspects of teaching are interconnected. Analysis and comments on the theory-practical integration, the nature and extend of support-system utilization, process analysis of success and failure management, inference and projection of future course of correction and developmental actions etc. can function as elements in the design of the Reflective Journal.

1.  Structure to a Reflective Journal Entry

A reflective journal entry is a conversation with yourself (and possibly your faculty) and follows the four components of the Focused Conversation Method. Often you hear the method called by its acronym ORID.

Objective Data

Describe a situation: what did you see, hear, feel and experience during the school initiatory programme

Reflective Data

Describe your reaction; often an emotion or a feeling. This is what tells you the situation is important and worth writing about.

Interpretive Data

Try to explain or give an interpretation of what you have observed and experienced.

Decisional Data

Make a plan about what you will do differently (or the same) the next time you are in a similar situation or what you need to learn to do differently to manage the situation better the next time! This part of your journal entry should be stated in terms of a SMART Goal.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Agreed upon
• Realistic
• Time framed

2. Some guiding questions for reflective thinking are:

·                   What happened during that event or experience?  And why did it happen? 

·         What was my role in the event? And why did I adopt that particular role?

·         What were my feelings during that experience?  And why did I feel that way?

·         What were my thoughts during that experience?  And why did I think that way?

·         How do I interpret what I experienced or observed? 

·         What might this experience mean in the context of my course?

·         What other perspectives, theories or concepts could be applied to interpret the situation?

·          How can I learn from this experience?