2b Reflective Writing

In keeping a journal, I am hoping that good bits of professional practice are retained, not forgotten! which does happen and less successful ones refined or discarded.

These are my developing thoughts on the different ways in which you could keep a journal, the ones that I found easier to use and others that I could use in different situations; 

Description

This is sometimes something I do in an aural way with colleagues when evaluating what happened? the main events? and where and when. I know that a journal is personal to the individual and as has been mentioned by Adesola, is sometimes best to be left that way. It has been a busy time and when able to keep upto it

Initial Reflection

I liked this technique, as at the moment day to day situations have arisen that have caused an emotiolnal response. I found i was able to spill out strong emotions. I also spoke to a friend who is using this method as a way of dealing with a close family illness and the difficult decisions that may have to be made. In this light I could really imagine using this technique. 

List

On a number of occasions I use my phone to quickly write down song titles or ideas, sometimes that I end up using in a script or for musical ideas in a pantomime for instance. I read a blog from Lee Taylor who did the same with his iphone. i would use this technique again. 

Graphs, charts and diagram

I found this hard only admittedly doing it the once to attach some kind of benchmark to what may or may not be positive and how I could use this effectively, particularly over the short term.

What if?
 
I found this useful and tried it a few times. In my daytime profession of working with young people their are many times when what ifs? could be used. I shared this with some professional colleague friends who agreed and I have used it in my school work classroom and drama teaching context, in a confiedntial way.

Another View

In a different way, evaluation of your work by your peers and in particular young people, is important to me and whilst at times there is some trepidation, most of the time I have found that feedback is positive. This is a slightly different thing, imagining what others would think, is something we as human beings probably subconsiously do anyway everyday. I personally would prefer, at this point, going down the route of evaluation of my work, regularly, by young people and peers ( by this i mean, the management board I report to and colleagues) due to the fact i am not a regularly performing professional anymore.

 

I have a notebook, which basically also acts as my diary which I scribble things into, is confidential, this is my professional journal and something I can use it quickly.

 

I find increasingly however, that my phone and also a confidential online spreadsheet/database i have acts as a part journal because i can add my thoughts, refer to it if I feel able and acts as a memory jog for things I must tackle, it also, I have found has helped me evolve in my professional life.