🦖Critical reflection and Evaluation of the Educational program ✅

John Dewey (1910) identified reflective thinking as purposeful and active. It is thinking with a purpose and consciously challenging what has been accepted.

At Woodlands we critically reflect in several ways to ensure that our educational program and practice is engaging and enhances children’s learning and development. 

Critical reflection is mandated by NQS as part of the planning cycle. According to NQS Element 1.3.2: Critical reflection: Critical reflection on children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, drives program planning and implementation. While planning, educators may need to reflect critically on their own understandings of Learning Outcomes, personal attitudes and training lessons carried over from the past as well as a choice of learning strategies for the overall development of children.

• What are my understandings of each child?
• What theories, philosophies and understandings shape and assist my work? 
• Who is advantaged when I work in this way? Who is disadvantaged?
• What questions do I have about my work? What am I challenged by? What am I curious about? What am I confronted by
• What aspects of my work are not helped by the theories and guidance that I usually draw on to make sense of what I do? 
• Are there other theories or knowledge that could help me to understand better what I have observed or experienced? What are they? How might those theories and that knowledge affect my practice?