Reflective writing to order

This week the course task is to write two accounts (two pieces of reflective writing) which show progression in the depth of reflection from the first account to the second account, ideally demonstrating some of the shifts identified in the Week 2 task and summarised by Jenny Moon as being

• from description to reflective account
• from no questions to questions to responding to questions
• emotional influence is recognised, and then handled increasingly effectively
• there is a 'standing back from the event'
• self questioning, challenge to own ideas
• recognition of relevance of prior experience
• the taking into account of others' views
• metacognition - review of own reflective proceses

The accounts have all been very different and each in their own way, very moving. Peter called them 'beautiful'. I think what is 'beautiful' is that the course participants have been willing to share their reflections in this way.

What I have been wondering today is whether it is reasonable to ask people to 'reflect to order' this way - here is the task, get on with it, you have one week in which to do it. When I was asked to do this task when I did the course, there wasn't a burning issue that I wanted to reflect on and share. I had to hunt around and find something. Most things I rejected as being far too personal to share with a group I hardly knew and ultimately I selected to write the accounts from an alternative perspective to protect myself even further.

So if as tutors we have these difficulties, what can we expect of our students?

Source of image: http://normblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/tom-ford.jpg