Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored why reflection matters and introduced you to a toolkit of resources available at SANTS to not only help you grow as a student, but a future teacher. If you’ve been following the series, you’ll know that reflection isn’t just a box to tick, but rather a mindset that helps you to improve, adapt and succeed.
In this third and final blog as part of the reflection series, we dive into practical strategies you can start using. These strategies will help you build a sustainable reflection habit that enhances your learning and prepares you for real-world teaching.
7 Reflective Practices That Will Support Your Academic and Professional Journey
1. Journaling
Write daily or weekly reflections about teaching experiences, challenges, and successes. After each lesson, use a notebook or in the notes section of your phone about what happened. You could even send yourself a voice note. Note your reactions and feelings as well as those of the learners, if you are in practice. You need to set a reminder to do it, and recall the details, as soon as possible.
2. Peer Discussions
Engage in conversations with fellow education students to share insights and perspectives. Create a WhatsApp or Facebook group from the start, to support each other on your academic journey. Starting a group early in the academic year creates a safe, ongoing space for peer collaboration where you can ask questions, share challenges, celebrate wins, and even exchange teaching resources.
3. Mentorship Meetings
Mentorship is one of the most valuable tools you can use during your journey as a student teacher. Engaging in regular meetings with your mentor or experienced educators gives you a structured opportunity to reflect, ask questions, and gain perspective on your teaching practices.
Use these sessions not only to receive feedback, but also to unpack it critically. What advice stood out to you? What challenged your current thinking? Take notes during or after your meetings to track recurring themes, areas for improvement, and examples of growth over time.
4. Video Analysis
Record teaching sessions and review them to identify strengths and areas for improvement. A great starting point can be to simply get together in a small group (in-person or online) to watch an available video of another student/teacher and then encourage discussions about the teaching and learning you have observed.
5. Reflective Essays
Write essays that explore specific teaching experiences, and the lessons learned from them. Use frameworks such as Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle or Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory to guide your reflection. These models encourage critical thinking by prompting you to consider what happened, why it happened, what went well, what could be improved, and how you will apply this learning in the future.
6. Mind Mapping
This method assists in the visual organisation of your thoughts as a student. You can categorise your reflections such as sentiments, lessons learned, and future activities, by making a mental map.
7. Reflection Questions
Having a list of reflection questions at your disposal as a student might assist to direct your thought process. Inquiries such as “What did I learn today?” “How did I feel during this experience?” encourage in-depth contemplation and reflection, and what you could do better the next time.
The awards of effective reflection
- To learn better, more effectively.
- To link what you learnt during your Higher Education studies at university to your career and life after graduation.
- To recognise your strengths and weaknesses.
- To take responsibility for your earning.
- To enhance your employability and enterprise skills.
Reflection is a powerful habit that helps you grow both as a student and a future teacher. Whether through journaling, discussions, or essays, each moment of reflection brings valuable insight. Keep reflecting, keep learning and let each step guide you toward becoming the educator you’re meant to be.
Authors:
Melinda Joubert and Kayise Anderson
