How much are you reflecting on your own life?

Are you busy observing, documenting and reflecting?

Observation, documentation and reflection is an important part of the work we do in the field of early childhood education.

As educators we do a lot of this in our work with children and families.

Yet — how often are you actually taking time for yourself to do this? How much are you reflecting on your own life?

There is so much we can learn about ourselves and our lives when we take the time to record our thoughts about the things that we see, experience or are intrigued by. So next time you find yourself wondering about something — write it down. Just take a few minutes and jot your thoughts down.

Do this now and then throughout the week.

Then — when you have time — sit down and go through the notes you made.

Reflect on what you have noticed.

Reflecting is a fantastic way to learn and grow — personally and professionally.

And ask yourself questions —

Why did I write this down?

Why does it matter to me?

What can I learn from these thoughts?

Is there something more I should do about this?

By taking the time to reflect on our notes and the things that have mattered to us we are learning more about ourselves and about the things that are important to us.

This kind of reflection supports us to be more present in our lives and more connected to the very people we are.