Reflection

One of the most rewarding practices I engage in on a regular basis for my job is reflection. I have come to believe that without this, I wouldn't grow in my profession nearly as much as I should; without it I wouldn't be able to learn from mistakes.

This is one of the biggest reasons why I (try to) write on a consistent basis. Every time I sit down to write, I'm thinking about something worthwhile, and inevitably, it leads me down a path of reflection - thinking about what happened that day, what's going on in life, what some current challenges are for work.

Because of this, I've typically been a pretty big fan of the alt-comp program out district has been a part of for the past few years. Yes, there are times where I feel like I'm doing a bit of hoop-jumping, but on the whole, I have found the experience to be rewarding. Why? Reflection. Purposeful, mindful, practice-impacting reflection. And what's great is that the reflection just isn't me alone. There's always place and time for that, and over the years I do more and more of it. The step up with the alt-comp program is I'm able to reflect with and through the eyes of a colleague-coach, someone who offers great feedback, listens and guides, and offers data and reflection based upon my requests.

With the structure of modern life & work it can often be difficult to reflect, but I would encourage anyone to take some time - 5, 10 minutes even - to reflect on their lesson, interactions, workouts, etc. to gain a better understanding of what was achieved, what went well, and what can be done better the next time.