Reflection is a critical part of learning and is necessary for transfer to occur. When we have an experience, our mind must process and make sense of that information. This is where the significant shift in understanding occurs. Moreover, reflection does not have to wait until the learning experience ends. The reflective process is continuous. The flow of learning, doing and reflecting allows for the transfer of learning to occur. As practitioner, engaging in reflective practices will help you make positive changes in your personal and professional growth. Most learning happens after the "doing." When we reflect on what we learned, draw conclusions and plan for our next experience, we are more likely to expand our schema to implement stronger and deeper reflective practices in the future. These practices create a foundation for meaningful learning to occur.
As Peter Drucker states, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” When you extend the benefits of reflection to the student experience, it is essential that students have an opportunity to learn from mistakes in being able to assess their strengths and weaknesses. When they engage in structured reflective processes, they are more likely to take ownership over their learning process. That ownership will lead to an increase in student-led processing and productivity.