Self-Reflection: Valuable for Both Adults and Children

“When people find out I’m an executive coach,” writes Jennifer Porter, in Harvard Business Review, “they often ask who my toughest clients are. Inexperienced leaders? Senior leaders who think they know everything? Leaders who bully and belittle others? Leaders who shirk responsibility? The answer is none of the above. The hardest leaders to coach are those who won’t reflect — particularly leaders who won’t reflect on themselves. At its simplest, reflection is about careful thought. But the kind of reflection that is really valuable to leaders is more nuanced than that. The most useful reflection involves the conscious consideration and analysis of beliefs and actions for the purpose of learning. Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning. This meaning becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions. For leaders, this ‘meaning making’ is crucial to their ongoing growth and development.” In the Out of the Box Training, Nurturing Creativity in Children, Caitlin (Cat) Lynch offers empowering ideas to help early educators deeply nurture children’s creativity. She describes how her work at the Columbus Museum of Art nurtures creativity by supporting children’s self-reflection as they explore art experiences. She explains, “We believe children are strong, independent individuals capable of amazingly creative and complex thinking.” She also describes the importance of self-reflection by the adults who work with the children. “Finally, and perhaps most influential, is the thoughtful documentation and reflection of our own programs. Like children, we learn best by doing, but as Dewey (1938) points out, ‘We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.’ Setting aside time to share and reflect, even if only briefly, allows us to learn not just from our colleagues internally, but also through the many learners of all ages for whom and with whom we are so privileged to work.”

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