Reflective Practice

Dr Gillie Bolton is an international authority on writing and author of a long publication list including nine books (one in 4th Edition), academic papers (many in top ranking journals), as well as professional articles, poetry, and for a lay readership.  She has peer-reviewed for many journals and  has been a long serving editor of an academic and two professional journals.Russell Delderfield has been involved in education for over thirty years. Initially working in education in both France and Spain, he then trained and worked as a primary teacher. Later he became part of senior management in primary education, before a period as a teacher trainer. Latterly, he delivered researcher development at the University of Bradford, having completed his psychology PhD (on male eating disorders). He now manages training and development within a civil service setting. Reflective practice has been a constant part of his professional life, and it influences his reflexive approach to his own development and the training, coaching, and mentoring he delivers to others.

I particularly liked the chapters relating to stories and metaphors. The author talks about the importance of stories in story form, a creative approach that really catches the imagination. The book is beautifully written and the vignettes are like stories in themselves. The Write to Learn exercises are a great way to consolidate knowledge and practice reflective writing skills.

• Chapter 1: Reflective Practice: an IntroductionChapter 2: Values and Principles of Reflective PracticeChapter 3: Theories and Contexts of Reflective PracticeChapter 4: The Power of NarrativeChapter 5: PerspectiveChapter 6: The Power of MetaphorChapter 7: Writing as ReflectionChapter 8: How to Do Reflective and Reflexive WritingChapter 9: Reflective Practice JournalsChapter 10: Assessment and EvaluationChapter 11: Reflective Writing and Team DevelopmentChapter 12: Reflection on Reflection