Self-Reflection Definition

Thing: Blog Post about self reflection (Informative and Narrative writing)

Audience: E12 students

Writer: Me

Purpose: to define a concept and use a personal example to illustrate the concept

Context: I am writing a definition and short personal narrative example about the concept of meta-cognition/self-reflection. I am including the required items for this post: a definition of self-reflection, a quote, an image/artwork and a brief personal story.

1. Copy and Paste Definition (note where you got this from): 

Self-Reflection: Meditation or serious thought about one's character, actions, and motives. (Oxford Dictionary )

2. Copy and Paste a quote about Self-Reflection: 

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. Margaret J. Wheatley (Brainy Quote)

3. Copy and Paste an artwork with a self-reflection theme: (Google Images) 

4. A brief personal story/example: 

First day of school and picking up the boys for practice 

I forgot to ask how their first day was

Prioritize my relationship with my sons rather than our schedule
5. Create your post. Write a one to two paragraph post that uses transitions and sentence fluency to communicate the concept of self-reflection. Include the resources you have collected above (1-4).

Beginning the year with my English 12 class this year, we are discussing and practicing self-reflection or meta-cognition, if you want to get fancy. The act of self-reflection itself shows sophistication and maturity; it is action of thinking about one's behaviors, choices, values, relationships in order to improve those actions, choices, skills, behaviors and more (Dictionary.com). Self-reflection, though sounds easy, takes time and discipline. Like Rodin's statue, Le Penseur, we rarely have the time or opportunity to just sit and think and reflect. The act of sitting down to think about how I have approached and then deal with a moment, an interaction, a behavior, a choice, a relationship, a skill, a lesson seems like a simple task, but it is rather complex. Similar to what Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu states about self-knowledge, "He who conquers others is strong: He who conquers himself is mighty.". So often I find myself contemplating others' decisions or actions and not my own, all the while knowing that , "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that is your own self." (Huxley). So knowing that just controlling my own actions can help me improve my relationships forces me to think about my interactions and responses as a wife, teacher, friend, sister, co-worker, coach, and most importantly mom.

     One of the relationships I value in my corner of the universe is the relationship I have with my sons. 

I want to continue to improve on being a mom, so I have to continually evaluate my actions, reactions and

interactions with them, it's a learning process. Yesterday, I picked up my sons from their first day of school;

I had meetings and a practice, Austin had soccer practice, and then off to church mid-week. 

As I rushed into Putnam to pick up my boys, reminding Austin he had practice and had to hurry 

and put on his shin guards, packing away Aiden's craft without letting him finish, we rushed out the door 

to the car and over to soccer park. Snatching a soccer ball out of the back of the vehicle, Austin dribbled

off to practice with his coach and teammates, meanwhile Aiden played Clash of Clans in his car seat. 

Wait a minute. My children's first day of school and I had failed to ask how it went. How could that be 

possible? Well, I am often in a hurry and even though my intention is to get my kids to where they need 

to be on time and demonstrate punctuality and responsibility, but I had put that before them.Which may not seem like a big deal, but as a repeated action, over time could be terrible for our relationship; if I continued to prioritize schedule over a personal relationship with my kids. So, next time, when I am in the middle of the end-of-the-day rush I will remember these six seconds, slow down and ask, "How was your day?".

Sculpture: "Penseur de Rodin" (Google Images)