When I first read the tasks for Part 2 of Module 1 and saw that journal writing was a task it brought me back to when I was younger and used to keep a diary. Last year I found this diary in my bedside locker and being able to see what my thoughts were at the age of eight was fascinating. To think that even at such a young age we still reflect on what happens every day amazed me. I knew that I would enjoy this task.
In my Profession Practice of currently auditioning it is so easy for me to get bogged down by rejection and worries about unemployment and wondering if I am moving in the right direction. The thought of being able to "unpack" my everyday thoughts and happenings by writing a reflective journal made me feel like I could empty my mind so I don't experience the feeling of wanting to explode!!
I am the type of person who likes to portray a relaxed, calm and upbeat exterior. I don't like to talk too much about my concerns to people as that always makes them feel very real. But in fact, I am actually an over thinker who constantly worries about the what ifs and the maybes!! When I read Boud's extract on Journal Writing to Enhance Reflective Practice I came across the quote by Moon (1999) regarding using journals in learning through reflection, she explains that an aim of journal writing is "To provide and alternative 'voice' for those not good at expressing themselves" I felt this quote very relevant.
Although I feel like I am able to express my thoughts on my blog, the difference with journal writing is that there are some things that I don't want to share with everyone. It is nice to be able to express myself without everybody knowing what I am thinking. The way I have started to write my journal allows me to make reference to it when submitting my work as I don't mention specific names or places.
When I began thinking about what I should include in my journal I found it really helpful to read Lauren Harper's blog as she gave a great description on Reflecting vs Analysing . Boud explains reflection as "taking the unprocessed, raw material of experience, and engaging with it as a way to make sense of what has occurred" I then went on to try and better understand what Analysing meant and found "Analysing is the process of breaking a complex topic into smaller parts to gain a better understanding" Looking also at Lauren's blog where she explained that analysing shows the thought process used to arrive at your conclusion. Last night on Skype, Paula referred to analysing as the making sense of what you have reflected on.
I decided to follow the guidelines of the handbook where they suggest to try out different ways to write my journal so that I could discover which way best suited me.
I chose to use a small leather journal to write down my everyday thoughts. This might be an old- fashioned way considering I could use my laptop or phone. However, it is handy to be able to have my journal in my bag and it separates itself from all of my social media sites on my phone and laptop. Since starting my reflective journal I find I really enjoy taking some time out of my evening to write in my journal.
Sources used: Boud, David Chapter 1 Using journal writing to enhance reflective practice
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis
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