Reflective practitioner with Abrial.
Jane Waters Executive Headteacher, Seven Kings School
One of our leading reflective practitioners
Everyone knows that a reflective practitioner is a better professional. But reflection is a sophisticated skill, that is difficult to acquire.
To this end, we award practitioners who have worked with us to develop their skills of reflection to a high standard, the status of ‘A reflective practitioner.’
This signposts to other professionals that when they are working with ‘a reflective practitioner,’ they experience someone who has
- enhanced self-awareness
- elevated emotional intelligence
- the ability to make mindful, informed choices
At Abrial, we believe that these challenging times in education mean that the only way to be your best professional self is to find a space for reflection.
- When financial and temporal capital are scarce, the thing you still have is human capital.
- Without time and money, you cannot work harder, but you can work smarter, and smart grows out of reflection.
- Reflection enables you to reclaim your agency as a practitioner; you are not ‘done to;’ instead you work out the next best move you can make.
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A parable on reflection
A man knelt down to look at his reflection in a pond. He could barely stand so he leaned in.
‘Now look at me,’ he said despondently to his haggard reflection, ‘this is all I have.’
A woman was walking past on the pond’s other side. She stopped by him and said. ‘What are you doing? You seem sad, what is wrong?’
The man did not look up. ‘I am looking at my reflection and I see I am an unfortunate man. I have been left with nothing.’
‘Take a step back from the reflection,’ said the woman, ‘ Tell me what you see.’
The man straightened up and took a step back. Now he saw ripples in the reflection. The ripples showed people in the background. They had been there all the time.
‘I see my people,’ he said. ‘Even though I feel haggard and unfortunate, they have stayed with me.’
‘Take another step back from the reflection,’ the woman said. ‘Tell me what you see.’
He could see the reflection of green wooded hills behind, merging into the distant mountains with a clear stream running down the hillside, glittering in the sunshine. He straightened his back with pleasure at the view. It had been there all the time.
‘Now that you are standing back,’ said the woman, ‘I see that I know you. You are Kyūdōsha. I did not recognise you before.’
‘Now that I am standing straight, ’ said Kyudosha. ‘I see that I know you. You are Keichōsha.’
‘I trust that from now on,’ said Keichosha, ‘we will both stand back from the reflection, so we can recognise each other.’
‘I trust that we will,’ said Kyudosha, ‘so that I can know what I have.’
求道者 (Kyūdōsha)
- Pronunciation: kyoo-doh-shah
A seeker of truth; someone who is constantly reflecting and learning
傾聴者 (Keichōsha)
- Pronunciation: kay-choh-shah
An active, empathetic listener – listening without judgment, reflecting back emotions and statements to ensure understanding, and creating a safe space to heal or improve.