Reflection is the act of thinking critically and, “writing
for the purpose of organizing, clarifying, defending, refuting, analyzing,
dissecting, connecting, and/or expanding on ideas or concepts” (Cain &
Laird, 2011). If you look
carefully, those verbs appear strikingly similar to the ones found at the
highest levels of Bloom’s learning objectives. Reflection is critical writing and is an important element
of authentic literacy. According
to Cain and Laird (2011), “critical writing creates meaning, solidifies
connections, transforms subconscious ideas into conscious thoughts, and is
essential for authentic literacy.”
Reflection is an important skill in leadership because
leaders have the responsibility to model life-long-learning. The students and the community desire
an instructional leader that is a deep thinker and a critical writer. They want to know that education is not
just our job, but is something we are passionately working to improve through
the process of reflection. Paul
and Elder explain about those who think critically, “use writing as an
important tool both for communicating important ideas and for learning…to deepen
their understanding of important concepts and to clarify interrelationships
between concepts…they use writing as an important tool for learning ideas
deeply and permanently (as cited in Cain & Laird, 2011).
Some of my best reflection is communicated through my
blog. Blogging is my opportunity
to be vulnerable and communicate to the world the thoughts and convictions on
my heart. It is my chance to be
transparent about my shortcomings and convey my lessons learned throughout my
journey. Reflection can also be a
phenomenal tool for private expression as we wade through the difficult waters
of life. Sometimes private
reflection can be an opportunity to vent negativity or to formulate the
beginnings of a new initiative and/or idea.
When I get the chance to lead a school, I would like to
actively use reflection to create a school culture built on authentic
literacy. It doesn’t have to be a multiple
page writing exercise, rather critical writing, or the act of reflection, can
include creating a simple list, a short comparison paragraph, a quick summary,
a mind map, or a written exit ticket.
It is my vision to have instructional staff and/or students post
reflections in the comment sections of a specific YouTube video, or maybe a
staff members blog, or even the principal’s blog. Pie in the sky scenario would be leading a book study with
teachers and holding a Google hangout once a week to discuss an assigned
chapter of the book. This would be
an opportunity to meet with teachers in an informal setting (using technology)
to discuss thoughts presented in a specified text.