After reading George Couros’s article on reflective blogging there is one major highlight that I would like to reflect on regarding the amount thrown at schools and teachers each year. He mentions that he would always try the latest and greatest instead of narrowing his focus to become a great school. This is something I have seen time and time again, however at my school this year we are abandoning that mentality and moving to a narrowed focus for the next 2 years. Our school improvement team met and decided on focusing on a specific goal, one that would move through the next few years at our school. This was done as a team, reflecting on our student’s work and our teacher’s feedback.

Reflection is such an important part of being a professional and for a student. It allows us to look back on the good things and not so good things that we have done. For teachers, its important that we reflect to figure out what lessons or assignments that we did well, or even reflecting on what we have said to specific students through various situations throughout the day. For students, reflection is crucial in order to reach true learning. I believe if students just push forward in their learning without looking back on what they have done, no true learning will have occurred.

Blogging is just one amazing way that we as educators can reflect on our own professional develop, but also for students to effectively reflect on their own learning and accomplishments.