Reflection on reflection

Ako Hiko principals have asked that we break down our data to identify the exact number of sub-levels each student has moved.  This was a fairly straight forward task that I could complete.  However, when I sent my data through to be analysed, we found that it was 'skew whiff'.

I had somehow saved my Term 1 data as Term 2 data and hadn't saved changed correctly on Excel.  I can only think that this confusion happend during my discussion and data analysis with my student teacher at the time.  However, I was left feeling like a pain in the arse, guilty, useless, and under performing as a teacher.  I felt this way as my data was all out of whack, and this put out a few other staff memebers.

Usually I would be hard on myself and feel like as if I had fallen to the bottom of the mountain, only to have to work ten times as hard to get up and attemp the climb again.  

But... through reflection I came to accept that my data was not up to scratch and began planning ahead straight away.  Without this reflective thinking, I would have remained depressed and low about the data.

The power of reflection is great.  It helps you plan prior, for the here and now and the future.  It also helps you get over yourself and move ahead, aiming to avoid making the same mistake again.