Reflection on Reflection

While walking on the beach I spent some time reflecting on reflecting . What is it? Is it more than just thinking? Their seems to be something more critically analytical about it. I presumed everyone reflected but I may be wrong.......on reflection. My blog looks at the great educator Paulo Friere whose work is based on a praxis i.e. action-reflection-action. In this you act to change a situation, reflect on the changes and act again to change and improve these. These actions would be born out of a consciousness which had been heightened and which would continue to develop throughout the process. Within this process however lies a broader perspective on examining an issue, than we are likely to learn in a 'banking' education system. Friere would bring us through the identification of an issue; it's codification in language or through pictures, poems etc; then our feelings/emotions about it. Following this we reach the level which appears to be actively discouraged in our society i.e to question why!, why we feel the way we do about the issue. Finally, with 'raised consciousness', what can we do to change it. The action evolves from this process and resultant changes are then reflected on prior to further action etc etc. Also within this are the people involved in the issue i.e. those who have the experience of it. No expert arrives with the answers. The people share knowledge and experience of the issue within a known environment and they form their own answers. The educator within this process is merely the facilitator.

Then I began to think about other 'tools' to hang reflection on, and I was on a roll. One of these is transactional analysis. Tune in tomorrow to find out more.