Tatia
27-04-2008, 08:30 AM
This thread was inspired by Rach's thread "Don't panic all" about her EYFS training.:)
As we all know, self-reflection is a new catch phrase and incredibly important under EYFS. I think filling out the self-eval form before your inspection is just not going to be enough any longer. So I just thought we could toss ideas at each other about ways to be (and prove) that we are self-reflective practititioners.
For starters, I keep a sort of journal where I note down things I need to improve, more resources I need, contracts coming up for renewal, trainings I want to attend, that sort of thing. It's more of an ongoing list (I like lists). Second, I ave added a space in my observation forms for evaluation so I can say how the activity went, was it successful, did the children enjoy themselves, was there anythng I could have done better or differently, that sort of thing.
And more than anything, I think self-reflection is about stopping a moment to think "what's it like for a child here in my setting". Are your greetings warm and welcoming, is there enough to do, is there too much to do, is it relaxed and loving, is it rushed and they don't have time to complete projects cos you have to leave for school, are the tables and chairs easily accessible, are resources at eye-level so child can choose, are there paints or crayons that reflect everyone's skin tone. This is the sort of thing I think about but do not necassarily document on a regular basis. I think I may actually pad my journal out and make it less about a to-do list and more self-reflective (which it was meant to be in the first place).
What does self-reflection mean to you and how do you document it within your setting?
As we all know, self-reflection is a new catch phrase and incredibly important under EYFS. I think filling out the self-eval form before your inspection is just not going to be enough any longer. So I just thought we could toss ideas at each other about ways to be (and prove) that we are self-reflective practititioners.
For starters, I keep a sort of journal where I note down things I need to improve, more resources I need, contracts coming up for renewal, trainings I want to attend, that sort of thing. It's more of an ongoing list (I like lists). Second, I ave added a space in my observation forms for evaluation so I can say how the activity went, was it successful, did the children enjoy themselves, was there anythng I could have done better or differently, that sort of thing.
And more than anything, I think self-reflection is about stopping a moment to think "what's it like for a child here in my setting". Are your greetings warm and welcoming, is there enough to do, is there too much to do, is it relaxed and loving, is it rushed and they don't have time to complete projects cos you have to leave for school, are the tables and chairs easily accessible, are resources at eye-level so child can choose, are there paints or crayons that reflect everyone's skin tone. This is the sort of thing I think about but do not necassarily document on a regular basis. I think I may actually pad my journal out and make it less about a to-do list and more self-reflective (which it was meant to be in the first place).
What does self-reflection mean to you and how do you document it within your setting?