Reflective Practice: Reconceptualized Images From the Educator Lens

A problem in education is the desire to be comfortable and safe in one's practices. I have struggled and still struggle with change at times. During the struggle, I visit the water and sit contemplating and reflecting. Connecting with nature, the flowing of the water, and its reflective qualities remind me that change is a necessary part of life. Imagine if the seasons never changed and what impact that would have. The life of an educator is similar to the seasons of change. It should be reconceptualizing new or different ideas like spring, warming up and practicing like summer, transforming like fall, and finally resting and reflecting like winter.

A pivotal moment in my educator journey, which I will speak to, was the life-changing professional learning experience of spending over a year in a community of practice with others in 2020 and 2021.

Guiding compass from professional learning

 

Pictured above is a project created for the professional learning I participated in. It was referred to as your compass that guides your work in early childhood education. After months of studying each view of children, educators, families and education, values, beliefs and assumptions I held were unearthed and reflected on. Whether these values or beliefs are still true for me today was a question I had to ask. The emotional journey was one of intense vulnerability, truth, and integrity.