Reflective Practices

I have been reading the Reflective Practice reader.  I feel like I am the slowest reader in the world, but I have finished it!

I reflect on events by talking about it.  I only write about it when I make a list of things I have to do next time (I like lists!).   I don’t ever say I have learnt by experience, but I do know in my head that I have learnt by experience.  I often learn from trial and error specifically if I correct something I did wrong it stays with me.  I can’t think of a situation but I have had incidents where I have been told things, so I have the information, but until I have experienced a situation, it hasn’t made sense.

I looked at Kolb’s learning cycling.  I think it depends on the situation as to where in the cycle I start.  I decided to look at some different situations within this course and my personal and professional life to see where I differ with my starting point, so here is some of my analysis:

Auditions I normally start at the planning stage because I generally told what and where I need to go:

·         Started with Active experimentation (I plan it)

o   Know the schedule

o   Plan the route/directions

o   Decode what to wear depending on the audition and the weather

o   Prepare what to perform

·         Concrete experience (Do the audition)

·         Reflective observation

o   Do during the audition (reflect in action)

o   Do after  (reflect on action)

§  Immediately when I finish

§  On the way home

§  Talking to friends and family about tit

§   Criticise/feel pleased with how it went

·         Abstract Conceptualisation

o   Make some conclusions

o   Might learn a new song so I book a singing lesson

Setting up My Blog:

·         Started with concrete experience

o   I have no experience so I got stuck in

·         Reflective observation

o   Having got started I then looked at some others

·         Abstract Conceptualisation

o   Decided what you liked

o   What I could improve on

·         Active experimentation

o   Went back and tried out what I had learnt

·         Concrete experience

o   Changed things

o   Finished and decided what I would do later

I struggled with explaining the difference between active experimentation and concrete experience because both of them are doing things, but when I think about it if it is the first time I am doing an activity I join the cycle at the concrete experience stage.  Once I have gained some experience and have to repeat the activity, I join the cycle at either the reflective observation or active experimentation stages e.g.  If I do something that needs preparation e.g. prepare material, then I spend time doing it before the experience; however if I don’t need to prepare anything I just repeat what went well last time.  So I think depending on the situation depends on where I start or which stages I skip or repeat.

I then looked at the people in my Family and where they might join Kolbs cycle:

·         Charlene, she is definitely a hands on person, reads manuals only if she is desperate so she always joins the cycle at the concrete experience stage

·         Philip is an academic; he records everything and wouldn’t dream of doing anything without reading the instructions first.  He would join the cycle at the reflective observation stage and only do it when he had thought about it, planned it and was confident he could tackle it.

·         Mum does a bit everything, sometimes she reads a manual, sometimes she gives it a go and other times she plans it out.  So a bit like me in a way depends on the situation

·         Nan, well what can I say, from what I observe, she just does it and I’m not sure at her age she does any reflection the proof is in the washing results she still changes white things grey !

After thinking about Gardeners multi intelligence theory I think most performers in general naturally use interpersonal intelligence to survive because they have to work with people with different approaches and temperaments.  In my last contract there were many times when the rehearsals would start really relaxed but I soon noticed changes in voice tone and body language of the choreographer.  When this happened I changed my way of working.  As a group we became quieter to show her we were focusing, we would not mark anything and always performed it “full out” and we would not question anything, regardless of what we thought or had been told differently before.

While I was looking at everyone’s blogs learning styles was coming up quite a lot and I gave the questionnaire online a go to find out what they had to say about my learning style.  After completing the questionnaire I came out as a mix of Auditory & Kinaesthetic and I think this is appropriate for example:

·         When I learn a song, I first like to hear someone else perform it.  I need to hear the song sung to get a grip of the basic melody, mostly because I can’t read music that well!  Then I like to be left alone to make it my own. 

·         With dance, I like to do it and feel the dance but hear it.

·         With stage makeup I have to do it, practice and improve

I think I learn best when all three approaches are made available.  Each approach helps me understand and retain the information e.g. my ballet teacher, before college sat at the front of the class and shouted out instructions.  I could not put names to moves and I disliked the class.  When I went to college my teacher always demonstrated and verbally confirmed the move.  Although I am sure I learnt a lot before college, during college I remember more and enjoyed my classes. 

I have also noticed that in personal situations when I am with friends of a like mind “performers” all three approaches are used just when we are in the conversation.  They are always so animated because they naturally act out the story, not just saying it.   I think their training naturally influences the way they communicate, the way we respond and the way we learn; however, my family do the same thing and none of them are trained performers so it can’t be the training that influences your learning style.  I do think that your learning style will vary according to the activity.

I have never given much thought to my learning style or how and when I reflect and the importance of it.  This course is definitely making me realise I naturally do a lot of it but have never analysed why or when I do it or how I differ from anyone else.  I assume a lot e.g. doesn’t everyone reflect?  But do they if they make the same mistakes over and over again?  Perhaps not because I often say to myself ‘When will I learn?’.