As we continue our reflective journey into the Service statement of Philosophy, we want to touch base on how important Critical Reflection is and how you can support this with your team.
This week’s tip: Set aside time for reflective practice
With most things, the more you reflect the easier it will become. We suggest designating time to purposefully reflect. Sometimes this can be difficult for OSHC educators. We highly encourage Service and Service Management to ensure all educators (casual, part-time and full-time) are given off the floor time to reflect on their practice.
Here are some tips on how to set aside time for reflective practice:
- Implement reflective sessions for educators (this is not for housekeeping issues but designated time for reflection)
- Why not have 20 minutes set aside at the end of each shift to reflect on the session?
- Designate time at the end of a staff meeting to discuss a provocation as a team
- Allocate an hour a week for Educators to reflect on their personal practice. Consider having a diary for each educator to write in. This will show their ongoing development and growth and is great resource to look back at
Remember: you may need to have different strategies for different staff. Some of your Educators may blossom in a group discussion and spark fantastic debates, whilst more reserved educators may prefer a diary to reflect in.
Now for this weeks’ pedagogical provocation:
As we continue our reflective journey into the Service statement of Philosophy, we will look at collaboration.
It is crucial that your Service Philosophy represents all stakeholders at your service, not just one person! This includes;
- Management
- Families
- Educators
- Children
- Community
This week reflect on how you ensure your Philosophy represents everyone who uses your Service.
How are the Children’s voices shown through your Philosophy? Share with us in the comments!
